Special City Council Meeting April 25, 2020

0:00:04The hand icon again to lower your hand for those calling

0:00:08in via phone you will not have these same features available

0:00:12but you can verbally request the mayor for permission

0:00:14to speak for members of the public participating from home

0:00:18for this special meeting.

0:00:20Public comments I apologize I had some feedback there.

0:00:39CONAN Everyone still hear me OK OK.

0:00:43Thank you.

0:00:45So for four members of the public participating from home

0:00:48public comments may only be submitted for items

0:00:51on the agenda today and the period for submitting public

0:00:54comments on each item will remain open until it is

0:00:57announced prior to the city Council taking action

0:01:01on an applicable item submitted comments will be read

0:01:05into the record comments may be submitted one of two ways via

0:01:09email to city clerk at sea I got e l dash Sarita that C a dot U

0:01:16S or by voicemail at 5 1 0 3 0 6 2 5 5 8 when submitting

0:01:24comments please be sure they are identified

0:01:27in the subject line or stated in the voice mail as public

0:01:31comments followed by the agenda item number

0:01:35please include the name and city of residence

0:01:37for the record please note that all information provided

0:01:40and public comments including phone number called with email

0:01:44address and any personal information written or stated

0:01:47is subject to disclosure on the broadcast

0:01:49of the teleconference meeting.

0:01:52Following the meeting all comments read into the record

0:01:55will be posted online supplemental materials

0:01:58and will have personal redacted.

0:02:01Instructions Mayor Lyman we are ready to move

0:02:03on to the next item right.

0:02:11Thank you.

0:02:12That concludes item number one teleconference

0:02:15and public comment Instructions We'll now move on

0:02:17to item two which is policy matters to A

0:02:21is adoption of a modification to the United Fire Professionals

0:02:25firefighters association local twelve thirty

0:02:28memorandum of understanding with that

0:02:35it looks like you're going to provide with a staff report

0:02:38yes.

0:02:39Good morning Mayor and members of the city council.

0:02:43My name is Alexandra.

0:02:44Although I guess I'm the assistant city manager

0:02:46and also acting human resources manager at this time

0:02:51I have before you this morning a request

0:02:54to adopt a resolution approving a side letter to the existing m

0:02:58o u between the city and local twelve thirty

0:03:02to modify salaries and provide a one year

0:03:04extension of the contract to twelve thirty

0:03:08represents the classification of firefighter fire engineer

0:03:13and fire captain so as you recall in October twenty

0:03:18nineteen the City Council approved a two year agreement

0:03:22with local twelve thirty.

0:03:24That it was effective July 1st twenty nineteen through June

0:03:2930th 2021.

0:03:31So at that time a number of items

0:03:34were approved with respect to the cost of living adjustments

0:03:38or we like to call homeless.

0:03:40So effective July 20 19 based monthly salary

0:03:44was to increase by 1 percent from fire captain for percent

0:03:48for fire engineer and one and a half percent for firefighter

0:03:53an effective July 20 20.

0:03:55The base salary for all classifications local twelve

0:03:58thirty what's to increase by 3 percent.

0:04:02So as you've heard in previous city council meetings including

0:04:06the one this week the city has continued

0:04:08to monitor and make adjustments to its fiscal position.

0:04:12The covered nineteen pandemic has resulted in a public health

0:04:16crisis that has further stretched

0:04:18the city's already existing fragile financial position.

0:04:23So in turn a local twelve thirty has obviously recognized these

0:04:27efforts and the situation that the city's in and has agreed

0:04:30to forgo the recall that was scheduled for this summer

0:04:34in July 20 local twelve thirty also agreed to extend

0:04:39their M.O. nu by one year through the side letter that is

0:04:42in your pocket before you now so the changes that are

0:04:47in the side letter include the end of the M O U end date from

0:04:54June 30 of twenty twenty one is now extending to June 30 twenty

0:04:59twenty two in July 20 twenty there will be a zero percent

0:05:03COLA that means no salary increase and in July

0:05:08twenty twenty one which is the

0:05:09extended year there will be a three percent increase

0:05:15the total cost savings to the city by local twelve

0:05:18thirty eight were going this three percent COLA in July

0:05:21twenty twenty is approximately one hundred

0:05:24and seventy seven one hundred and seventy eight thousand

0:05:27dollars and will be realized in the first year of twenty twenty

0:05:31twenty twenty two fiscal year the total cost

0:05:36for a three percent increase or local twelve thirty

0:05:39in July twenty twenty one is the same amount

0:05:43and would be realized in the second year of 2012 twenty

0:05:46twenty two is clear.

0:05:49So in closing personally on behalf of the city

0:05:53I would really like to thank locals for 30

0:05:56for the great leadership that they've

0:05:57shown during this really challenging time for the city

0:06:01local Twelve thirty it was the first bargaining unit

0:06:03to step up to agree to employee concessions

0:06:07and this is not the first time that they've done this we look

0:06:11forward to continuing the strong relationship we have

0:06:14with local twelve thirty as we move

0:06:16forward during this time with that

0:06:19This concludes my report right.

0:06:24Thank you.

0:06:25Any questions from council members.

0:06:28I'll start with Council Member of Abramson currently muted

0:06:35I ask how to mute you did that.

0:06:38Great thank you.

0:06:39I did that.

0:06:40Okay.

0:06:42How do I know if I wanted to phone you on the phone.

0:06:49Yeah I I we will We will make sure that you remain muted

0:06:54during our discussion period.

0:06:57Okay.

0:06:57Thank you.

0:06:59So I I don't have a question at this time.

0:07:04Other than to say that I really appreciate the willingness

0:07:09on the part of our local to work with us

0:07:13through this very trying time.

0:07:17And I want to thank them for doing that right.

0:07:21Thank council member for New York.

0:07:28Yes I'd just like to reiterate that I think that it's really

0:07:31great that the local top 30 was willing to come

0:07:35back after their contract had been settled and agreed.

0:07:40You can say this because they didn't have to do that and it's

0:07:44a good partnership that we have with the union

0:07:47and I'm I'm really pleased to hear that they're

0:07:52willing to pitch in still.

0:07:53I think Sure.

0:07:56Any questions.

0:07:57Council member of fidelity no questions

0:08:00I just want to concur with what everyone else has said.

0:08:03It's one thing to negotiate.

0:08:05It's another thing to come back and be flexible in a time

0:08:09of crisis and uncertainty.

0:08:11So I that's extra credit is what I like to always say.

0:08:15So thank you.

0:08:15I think we all need all sectors in our city

0:08:17need to continue to be flexible in this direction.

0:08:20Thank you.

0:08:21Councilman no questions.

0:08:25I also want to echo what my colleagues have said

0:08:30and I want to thank local authority in working

0:08:34with us on this matter and know that we very

0:08:40much appreciate this these difficult times

0:08:42and thank you local told 30.

0:08:44Great.

0:08:45Thank you.

0:08:45I have a couple of questions there actually to make it

0:08:49very clear what our action is.

0:08:52If we do not take this action if we do not amend the contract

0:08:56do we are required to provide raises on July 1st.

0:09:01Yes and if we take this action does this preclude you

0:09:09from making additional concessions

0:09:12at some point in the future if your financial conditions

0:09:15do not change.

0:09:17Now it does not preclude us from approaching

0:09:20local authority if we choose to do that in the future.

0:09:24And if we take this action it does not prevent us

0:09:27from taking the prudent steps such as reduction

0:09:34in workforce or layoffs or reducing time in in any way

0:09:41we can.

0:09:42With regards with this group it does not that of course

0:09:46any actions like that require appropriate notice saying

0:09:50and appropriate I mean confirm her the respect of employees

0:09:54and say thank you.

0:09:56Are there any public comments on this matter.

0:09:59Aside from the ones that were published with the packet

0:10:01we have not received any additional comment Are you

0:10:05able to remind us who commented just

0:10:08for the record Just give me one quick second

0:10:14to pull up the information.

0:10:15I believe there were two or more correctly Ed

0:10:32received comments from Sherry.

0:10:34ROVNER Vincent Wells and Mark figure

0:10:39all which were in the materials that were published

0:10:42on Wednesday 20 seconds.

0:10:44Great.

0:10:44Thank you very much for that recollection

0:10:48of the public comments.

0:10:50With that we will move back to comments and emotion.

0:10:56I can start this off if you would like since most people

0:11:00have made their comments I want to echo what my council

0:11:03members have said in that this is a fantastic concession

0:11:09by local twelve thirty.

0:11:12They step forward on their own volition without question.

0:11:16They've done this in the past and we

0:11:18hope that our relationship with them

0:11:19will allow this to occur in future

0:11:24as my questions indicated.

0:11:26This does not preclude us from future actions.

0:11:29If the financial situation warrants.

0:11:32So I really do appreciate them being proactive to assist us

0:11:38at this time.

0:11:39This this action solves our short term

0:11:42issue of increased pay.

0:11:44In July of this year it does not preclude long term solutions

0:11:49that we'll need to consider if the predictions are

0:11:53true if our dire situation comes through

0:11:58as potentially considered through some

0:12:00of our presentations.

0:12:02We'll need to reduce payroll and consider

0:12:05furloughs and furloughs might a good tool to do that.

0:12:13And I'll save my I'll make these comments now.

0:12:20You know this is this is a way of reducing our increases

0:12:25in cost to this time.

0:12:26But as we go forward will potentially

0:12:28need to consider ways to reduce payroll across the board.

0:12:33And so furloughs should be considered throughout all

0:12:36of our city department.

0:12:37I know other cities like L.A. or San Francisco

0:12:40are contemplating furloughs pretty significant furloughs We

0:12:46should allow consider allowing full time employees who want

0:12:50to to work part time so that they can voluntarily assist us

0:12:55in our payroll reductions and I think that this begins to send

0:13:01us a clear signal to our workforce

0:13:05that we potentially will not be able to entertain

0:13:10raises in the year 2020.

0:13:13That concludes my comments and I will

0:13:18go to council member Ableton since you're on the phone.

0:13:22I will go to see if giving additional comments

0:13:24or emotion I would be happy to make a motion I don't know.

0:13:33But I do want to preclude other people from speaking Can

0:13:38we have comments after the motions made.

0:13:41OK I make a motion to approve the recommended action

0:13:46of changing and reading the salary

0:13:53increase for this upcoming year and extending the contract

0:14:02tax duty by a year and adding a 3 percent at in the final year.

0:14:13Did I say correct.

0:14:14No.

0:14:14Did you summarize the side letter quite well.

0:14:18So that second so moved by all said and seconded by Cato.

0:14:23Any additional comments from any of the council members.

0:14:27I do.

0:14:30I just want to again thank our fire

0:14:32department and our of all of the employees who

0:14:38who work in El Cerrito.

0:14:40I mean this further demonstrates what critical partners

0:14:43they are not only coming to us now in time of need

0:14:45to help us out fiscally but heading into a fire

0:14:48season which we've talked a little

0:14:50about over the last few weeks because of other issues.

0:14:53It's the most positive chapter and for them

0:14:57to head into a fire season.

0:14:59But this is something that I want to congratulate them on

0:15:03and it further shows the hundreds

0:15:05that they give our city.

0:15:07Great thank you.

0:15:07Council member Okamoto I'd just like to add

0:15:15thank you for making the comments that you made mayor.

0:15:18And those are definitely things that I was all thinking about.

0:15:22So I just would kind of like to concur with the comments

0:15:26that you made on this subject because we don't know

0:15:30exactly where this is going.

0:15:31It could go a lot worse and this is of course

0:15:35first steps and hopefully hopefully things do get better

0:15:40in a surprising way and that's not

0:15:42where I think things are going.

0:15:43But and we'll see as we go into next year.

0:15:48The other considerations that we'll have to make that we'll

0:15:51be making considerations and and and decisions

0:15:57month to month week to week.

0:15:59I just wanted to let the public know that we're not

0:16:01we're we're not kicking the can down the road

0:16:04we're really going to be continually working on this.

0:16:06So but this is a good first step and it shows leadership

0:16:10to the rest of the bargaining units

0:16:13and the rest of our city employees

0:16:15that I appreciate the efforts made

0:16:18on the part of local authority Any other comments

0:16:22at this time.

0:16:25Yeah.

0:16:25I just want to reiterate that I believe

0:16:27that my comments and and councilman

0:16:30were pretty welcome what do you think echo them.

0:16:32My closing comments from the meeting now 20

0:16:38almost 20 days ago the 7th was that we

0:16:42need to find ways to reduce our payroll that

0:16:47should be our first action goes towards that.

0:16:50My second comment.

0:16:51Our second priority was to potentially reduce staff.

0:16:56And then third in that hierarchy was

0:16:57to reduce services in that there may be some positions

0:17:02that the second part there may be some positions which

0:17:06the public will if we reduce those positions the public

0:17:10won't necessarily see a it won't be as forward facing

0:17:15a reduction in services but as we go to our next topic

0:17:19there is also a reduction in services

0:17:21that we should be considering at this time seeing

0:17:26no other comments from the council.

0:17:28I will ask the clerk to call me a Lyman Yes ma'am.

0:17:35Definitely yes.

0:17:38And some member Wilson.

0:17:39Yes.

0:17:40Council member Perdue in Canada yes council member down.

0:17:45Yes I should carry sweet right Thank you.

0:17:49That concludes Item 5.

0:17:50A tree line item to a which was a modification

0:17:55to our local twelve thirty memorandum understanding

0:17:59will now go to item to be city council

0:18:03division budget discussion.

0:18:05I'm not going to say a few words to explain why this is

0:18:09on the agenda About two months ago the clerk came

0:18:15to me in the city council budget has not in no one's

0:18:21addressing the cuts the city manager is asking

0:18:24for in this city council budget and I felt uncomfortable making

0:18:30those decisions on my own.

0:18:31So we the city clerk and I did work up

0:18:35the proposal that is presented here in the package

0:18:41Both of these.

0:18:41And granted this was almost two months ago.

0:18:45So it was pre covered nineteen and our discussion tonight

0:18:51or today will certainly touch on many issues

0:18:56around our fiscal situation including it's

0:19:03made worse through COBRA 19.

0:19:05So I did not feel comfortable making these decisions

0:19:10in a vacuum and I felt it was actually a very good exercise

0:19:13for us to go through what the department managers are doing

0:19:18and and get a sense of what exercise they are doing.

0:19:22They're doing it on a much larger scale

0:19:24than we will be discussing today.

0:19:26However what we discussed.

0:19:28The comments we make in the resolution we come out of this

0:19:33will send a clear signal to the city

0:19:36staff and our residents of how we

0:19:40are approaching this situation.

0:19:44And so I think it's a great exercise for us

0:19:46to go through to talk about.

0:19:48I think customer Ables said the other night what is essential

0:19:53and what is nice and we need to sort of come out

0:19:58of this discussion having some experience with making

0:20:03those those tough choices between what's a central

0:20:07and what is nice.

0:20:08So that's that's my that's the reason why it's on the agenda

0:20:12is for us to have some of the experience that the Department

0:20:17managers are going through and also for us to display

0:20:22our our rationale and thinking as we start making decisions

0:20:27like the one we just made on the local twelve thirty memoranda I

0:20:31understanding with that I don't know if there's a staff report

0:20:35on this Holly there was a staff point that was submitted and I

0:20:40can give just a brief overview of that content for you

0:20:43if you'd like and then perhaps Karen can do a quick overview

0:20:47of the content regarding the library

0:20:49hours so as mayor lemon mentioned

0:20:54we've been working diligently

0:20:55on this city council department division budget

0:20:59and in addition to my own budget and the information that I've

0:21:04presented to you I want to focus primarily

0:21:07on the second attachment which is the budget reduction one key

0:21:14and look first at the column which is indicated

0:21:20as the fiscal year twenty one projected column This is

0:21:25an attempt to write aside the spending and costs that

0:21:30are included in the budget.

0:21:31So there is a baseline to begin working with

0:21:34and there is notations there and if the council has

0:21:36any questions in terms of the the cost or the estimates

0:21:39I can certainly answer any of those questions.

0:21:42And then moving over to the maximum reductions column

0:21:46this is looking at all of the the applicable things

0:21:50that you could potentially consider for reduction

0:21:53to services and expenses.

0:21:55This does include things such as the library additional library

0:21:58hours commission appreciation dinner televising broadcasting

0:22:03and support for council meetings radio broadcasting council

0:22:07meetings online streaming and closed caption services

0:22:11or canceled meetings canceled travel

0:22:13and training expenses events and trips

0:22:16as well as council meeting meals.

0:22:19If you go further down that same spreadsheet

0:22:23the 5 percent reduction was one of the initial exercises

0:22:26that we were asked to go through at a department level

0:22:30and so that was a 5 percent reduction at the mayor

0:22:33and I had gone through and put together

0:22:35a proposal at this time.

0:22:37We can't say that we're only asking for 5 percent reduction.

0:22:40So we did leave that information in there

0:22:43just so that you have But right now we're really focusing

0:22:46on your direction in terms of the amount of reductions

0:22:51that you want to make.

0:22:52And then Karen if I can hand it over to you

0:22:54to talk a little bit about the information regarding

0:22:57the library hours which does represent

0:22:59almost 50 percent of the council's budget Certainly.

0:23:07Thank you Holly and thank you Mayor and City Council.

0:23:10I'm Karen Pinkus city manager And as you know the city has

0:23:14paid the Contra Costa County Library for additional hours

0:23:17at the L. Street branch since about 2016.

0:23:21And as far as oh they've never really had a permanent home

0:23:24in the city budget.

0:23:25Usually what we do for expenses throughout the city

0:23:30is that we put them in a department

0:23:32that they tend to either work with or make sense whatever

0:23:37makes the most sense for the left

0:23:39for the expense to be housed.

0:23:42That is why the we have moved the library hours

0:23:45to the city council budget.

0:23:47They could be in the city management budget.

0:23:49They could be in another department's budget.

0:23:52But regardless of what section the budget of budget

0:23:56that from it's fund money and it is decision of the city council

0:24:01to have funded these extra hours and so

0:24:03it should be a decision of the city council as to

0:24:05whether or not they would consider providing continuing

0:24:09to provide funding to the county to pay

0:24:11for the additional hours.

0:24:12So that is why it is reflected in the city

0:24:14council's division budget.

0:24:16Now I do want to point out that within the last few days

0:24:21you were provided with an update regarding the library hours.

0:24:24We received confirmation from the county librarian Melinda

0:24:27Savannah that they will be recommending to the Board

0:24:30of Supervisors at their May 12th meeting that effective July 1st

0:24:35they plan to eliminate Sunday operations

0:24:38at all library branches operated by Contra Costa County.

0:24:42They will continue to provide thirty five base hours although

0:24:45they will likely revise the schedule of open hours

0:24:48in certain branches to reflect a Tuesday through Saturday

0:24:52schedule and some good news is that the county has agreed

0:24:58to pay for well to pay for not charged the city for the hours

0:25:03that they were closed during the during the public health order

0:25:08so that at least through June 3rd I believe or however long

0:25:13the health order is expected to go so we would be charged

0:25:17for the previous hours previous to the closure but at this time

0:25:21they are planning to not charge us

0:25:22for the hours that they're closed on So

0:25:25the numbers before you are

0:25:26revised to two options.

0:25:29Funding without sundaes which is going to now be what our what

0:25:34our highest share would then be expected to be which would be

0:25:37forty six hours open that's eleven extra hours at about one

0:25:41hundred eleven thousand dollars The other option

0:25:44is funding for extra hours which means thirty nine hours open

0:25:48closed Fridays at eighty about eighty nine thousand dollars

0:25:53no additional funding would mean that the library

0:25:55would be open thirty five hours per week.

0:25:59I should note that 13 cities in the county

0:26:01pay for additional library hours.

0:26:03The numbers vary but in having talked to the city managers

0:26:07throughout the county over the past couple of days in addition

0:26:10to El Serino the city of Hercules

0:26:12and the City of San Pablo are seeking to reduce their library

0:26:16hours to the thirty five base hours from what I understand

0:26:20and in addition this week the city councils of Brentwood

0:26:23Pleasant Hill and Lafayette will also

0:26:26be discussing reducing library hours in their cities as well.

0:26:29So we are by no means alone in certainly

0:26:33in this public health crisis and having to look at funding.

0:26:36But as far as reducing hours in the library

0:26:39we are not alone in looking at that.

0:26:42That issue and I will stop there.

0:26:45I can further discuss what my recommendation would be

0:26:49but at this time I'll stop there and if you have any questions

0:26:52or would like me to elaborate further I'm happy to do that.

0:26:55Thank you.

0:26:56Thank you.

0:26:56I'll start with Council Member Ableton

0:26:59Do you have any questions.

0:27:05The question I had.

0:27:05I don't know if it's a question of I'll just state it

0:27:08and then we'll see what it is.

0:27:10But the issue that I have is having

0:27:15what I'm thinking of as support about services which

0:27:18is where I would put the library if I were

0:27:20doing the budget categories.

0:27:25Into a separate place because functionally that

0:27:28is what's going on and we've had this come up

0:27:31before in other topics besides the library and they

0:27:38there's there's been discussions and it's been put in and taken

0:27:43out of this city council budget which I think

0:27:48is not the right use of words or category

0:27:53for where the library ought to be.

0:27:56So what I would like to see happen out of this action

0:28:01is that we put the funding for the library

0:28:06into a new budget category called

0:28:09supportive outside services.

0:28:12Meaning services not provided by the city of El Cerrito

0:28:17and then we don't get the public in particular confused

0:28:25about what it is we're trying to do

0:28:28when we take budgetary actions.

0:28:34So that is what I would like to see

0:28:36and then I just have a comment that I think

0:28:40it's due to the topic of the letter

0:28:43that we received recently about what's going on

0:28:47and what been updated us with this now about what

0:28:52other cities are doing.

0:28:54So what I'm saying is there's going

0:28:56to be a likely a general reduction

0:29:00in library hours because of the virus issue

0:29:06and so I think that will be.

0:29:12It sounds like that may be the norm across the county.

0:29:17In particular for maybe for everybody

0:29:20I really don't know that that's my comment at this moment.

0:29:26Great.

0:29:27Slumber party Okamoto so the county

0:29:31is still going to provide 35 hours That's correct.

0:29:37That is correct.

0:29:38That hasn't changed from before.

0:29:40They're just changing their own life.

0:29:43I don't know is that the Kensington library.

0:29:45Maybe that's a county library.

0:29:49Yeah it is.

0:29:50And from what I understand that that is again

0:29:52they're planning to close Sunday's for all county

0:29:55libraries for all of the branches every every city

0:29:58in the county except for Richmond

0:30:02has the services provided library services

0:30:04provided by the county.

0:30:06So we can't do sundaes even if we want to.

0:30:11That is correct.

0:30:13OK.

0:30:14That's what I was not clear about that so they're

0:30:17just saying even if we pay for the extra hours

0:30:20we can't do sundaes.

0:30:21Yes that's great.

0:30:23Okay comes member fiddly questions yes.

0:30:32So clarify to me the one hundred and twenty nine thousand dollar

0:30:38figure to and what the present cost you mentioned previously

0:30:46that they were going to reduce the cost for the annual charge.

0:30:50Now they reduced hours so.

0:30:52One hundred and twenty nine thousand dollars for the year.

0:30:55Karen is not appropriate anymore right

0:30:58The new figure is one hundred eleven

0:31:01thousand dollars actually.

0:31:05But no less our yeah one hundred eleven thousand three

0:31:09hundred ninety nine dollars.

0:31:12So that would be now the I guess the new if we were to put more.

0:31:19That would be the first option for the city

0:31:23to have us open Monday through Saturday The one hundred

0:31:28twenty nine hours was assuming Sunday hours which

0:31:30is now no longer on the table.

0:31:34So in talking about the base of what we would hope whether it's

0:31:37a five or 10 percent cut on departments and city services

0:31:44should that be a 10 percent cut then

0:31:47that would save what left than eleven thousand dollars

0:31:51and so that would be a gap of about that much

0:31:59if we made that sort of a cut.

0:32:01But I had some questions previously at council meetings

0:32:04about using the arts fund to fill in that gap

0:32:08that I believe sky was going to look into to see if we could

0:32:13in fact shift some of that Arts Fund money

0:32:16to fill the gap for any 10 percent

0:32:18cut we might have at the library and maybe put some conditions

0:32:22on that whatever programs they might produce

0:32:24in the library could be artistic in nature Sky on

0:32:30and we'll let Skye address that Hey you still with us

0:33:00show on the call and he is not.

0:33:02So I would love to know that because my my instinct

0:33:06is to begin right now before we continue and move on.

0:33:11Weekly monthly with any other budget cuts

0:33:14is to begin with a 10 percent cut.

0:33:16I've said everything should be on the table.

0:33:19I'm a big library supporter and I know what

0:33:21this community wants needs.

0:33:23And as far as the library and I think

0:33:26that's a commitment that we've made to this community.

0:33:29So I want to I want to start there if we can.

0:33:32Fill the gap at all with what's happening

0:33:35and you end if we're not open on a Sunday

0:33:38we may have reduced hours over the time period during the week

0:33:43but at least if we can fill that gap

0:33:44and with some money that's just sitting there I'd

0:33:47like to pursue that.

0:33:49Can you question about what policy you Janet

0:33:57go ahead first and then sky.

0:33:59Okay.

0:33:59Every question I have is is the way

0:34:02it's calculated 10 percent a 10 percent cut in and in the case

0:34:08of man here is it.

0:34:10First of all the money is calculated

0:34:12to begin with as a percent of the budget being done so far.

0:34:23If there is somebody at another ad in a breath

0:34:28and opens a business and those new income

0:34:34to the city based at Paul please wait for Janet to finish.

0:34:39Janet please.

0:34:41Janet please Go ahead.

0:34:42Paul is going to wait for you to finish up.

0:34:44OK.

0:34:45Then so it's not at a center of the we don't really

0:34:52know what it is until it's until it actually happens

0:34:57that we don't know whether or not a project is

0:35:00going to be reassessed.

0:35:03For example I'm forgetting exactly how that calculation is

0:35:10done but at any rate it's not it's not a part of the budget

0:35:16so we wouldn't be able to beginning of the year

0:35:18to say this is what it's going to be for the year.

0:35:22With any certainty because those projects may or may not happen

0:35:28and we won't be in or we won't know that until after the fact

0:35:32where whereas provision of services such as library

0:35:36services you know we need to know

0:35:40at the beginning of the period of time that's going to happen.

0:35:44I think that would be calculated.

0:35:46Yeah.

0:35:46Great.

0:35:47Thank you for that question Paul.

0:35:49Do you want to explain what your proposal is I wasn't talking

0:35:53about 10 percent of the Arts Commission fund

0:35:57the arts fund I was talking about.

0:35:59If we make a 10 percent cut to the costs

0:36:02to the county for our library extended hours taking

0:36:07that exact amount of money from the arts fund that is sitting

0:36:10there and I believe it's over two hundred

0:36:12thousand dollars or close to it and filling the gap

0:36:15with the money as long as it's arts related effort

0:36:18at the library to help fill the gap

0:36:21those hours that we make cut by 10 percent

0:36:23and before Scarborough response to the question

0:36:26I believe they did to put it into concrete terms.

0:36:29The budget was proposed to be one hundred one thousand

0:36:33dollars and if we were to take a 10 percent cut of that we would

0:36:37effectively take ten thousand dollars

0:36:39off so we would be proposing a budget

0:36:42of 90 roughly ninety thousand.

0:36:45And to close the gap between what our proposed budget would

0:36:48be and what the forty six hours the county is asking for

0:36:52would be 20 one thousand four hundred dollars.

0:36:56So that's that's that's what Paul's proposal is

0:37:00is that for at least the next year and maybe the next two

0:37:03years we'd be pulling 20 some thousand dollars out

0:37:07of the arts fund to pay for the library

0:37:11and to pay for the difference between what we want to fund

0:37:14and what the county wants.

0:37:16Skye Yeah.

0:37:19I think council member Harvey Okamoto has a comment question.

0:37:23Yes I do as well.

0:37:26I just want to point out before we start really running down

0:37:29this road that I agree with Council Member Abel saying

0:37:34that I didn't think that the library should be

0:37:37in the council budget but the way that we're

0:37:40talking right now as is as if it is in its own separate budget.

0:37:46We don't have to cut the library hours by 10 percent.

0:37:51The fortunate thing is that it's in the council budget.

0:37:55And so when you put all of that money

0:37:57together we can completely cut from what's here on the paper

0:38:02with the Council we can.

0:38:05We could eliminate travel and training we can eliminate many

0:38:08of our events and field trips and then

0:38:10we can keep the library hours when we add all of that stuff

0:38:14up together we can come up with like twenty five

0:38:16thousand dollars worth of cuts which

0:38:19is way more than 10 percent.

0:38:22If we already reduced the library hours by Sundays

0:38:27we don't even have to touch the art spend we we can completely

0:38:31cut out of our own budget to account for library hours

0:38:35and keep them at the full maximum that we can.

0:38:39That's apparently Monday through Saturday.

0:38:44We don't have to cut customer Quito Thank you Mayor.

0:38:52I agree with Carl Mayor Pro Tem finally on this matter.

0:38:58Looking at this and knowing that money is available I want

0:39:03to make sure before we do anything else to hear from Sky

0:39:07would a for our city attorney to see

0:39:10if this is even possible to do.

0:39:11Because we haven't heard from him yet.

0:39:13So before we discuss hours and moneys from the council

0:39:21I disagree with the council member

0:39:24Rochelle Pardue Okamoto on taking money.

0:39:26Ad of travel because our council members travel.

0:39:31We have leadership roles throughout the state

0:39:35and it's important for Elsa Reno to participate and nah

0:39:41what we say as leaders in the state of California

0:39:44through the League of Cities and and the cities in Contra

0:39:51Costa County we matter.

0:39:53So while I disagree with cutting money from ours

0:39:58and sticking library money in there

0:40:01I want to see what our city attorney has to say.

0:40:05If it's even possible to use arts

0:40:08money to fill in the gap of the library that's my comment.

0:40:16Great thank you.

0:40:18Mr. Thank you.

0:40:20Very sorry for the audio difficulties earlier at I

0:40:23just needed to switch over to the microphone.

0:40:27So I'm Scott Woodruff the city attorney just just

0:40:30to provide a little bit of background

0:40:32for the members of the public who may be watching

0:40:35new development in else Eldorado is required to include

0:40:39public art and the value of the art

0:40:42that they are required to provide

0:40:44is a percentage of the construction

0:40:46costs of the project in lieu of actually providing public art.

0:40:52They can pay a fee that's that's equal to the value the art

0:40:56that they're required to provide.

0:40:58If a project chooses to pay the fee

0:41:00the fee goes into a restricted fund

0:41:03and the uses of the money in that fund

0:41:06have to be consistent with the purposes that are outlined

0:41:10the municipal code that that are there as a result of the City

0:41:15Council having adopted an ordinance

0:41:16that required the inclusion of public art in the first place.

0:41:20So he uses the permissible uses of the money that

0:41:25is in the fund is both physical pieces of art

0:41:30but also what's what's referred to as as onsite site

0:41:34cultural programs and the municipal code

0:41:39provides a list of examples of types

0:41:42of onsite cultural programs that would qualify

0:41:47and those include things like performances screenings films

0:41:52readings presentations festivals and artist in residence

0:41:56programs library hours or the operation the library

0:42:01itself is not an expressly listed

0:42:04permissible use of the money that's in that fund.

0:42:08So what what the rules of statutory construction

0:42:11say is that when a law provides a list of things that can be

0:42:15done and says you can do other similar things other things

0:42:20that you would do have to be e of a similar type

0:42:23to what's on the list.

0:42:26So my view is that using money that is in the public art fund

0:42:32just to pay for library hours would not

0:42:35be consistent with the permissible uses of the fund

0:42:38using it to pay for particular programs

0:42:42at the library that are similar to the kinds of things that are

0:42:45listed would be permissible.

0:42:47And if somehow paying for those programs

0:42:51would also result in additional hours

0:42:53then that would be permissible.

0:42:56But what I would say is and I have I have also the city

0:43:00manager and I have also discussed this

0:43:02that it is possible for the city to approve what's called inter

0:43:08fund loan where a restricted use fund

0:43:12makes a loan to the general fund of money that's sitting there.

0:43:16Ultimately the general fund would have to repay that amount

0:43:20but it can.

0:43:21But the terms of the loan can be no interest

0:43:23and it can be for some years.

0:43:26So if the city council wanted to authorize basically

0:43:29loaning the general fund a portion of the funds that

0:43:32are in the public art account that would be possible

0:43:37But the general fund would ultimately

0:43:39have to repay that money to the public art fund.

0:43:43I think that also this is not strictly a legal question

0:43:47since I just have the floor for the moment.

0:43:49Having spoken with the with the city manager

0:43:52I think that there is a concern about how much this

0:43:55about the level of draw down to the public art

0:43:58fund because while there are not particular plans for use

0:44:02of the fund at the moment it is there may be opportunities

0:44:07in the future and the more that is withdrawn

0:44:11from that fund for library purposes the less that would be

0:44:15available if there are opportunities

0:44:17for public art in the future.

0:44:19So if you have any questions about that analysis please let

0:44:22me know.

0:44:23I have a question this is Janet.

0:44:25Go ahead Janet.

0:44:26OK.

0:44:27The question I have is you state you talk to us

0:44:31just now about basically what I would call city policy that was

0:44:36made by the City Council regarding these issues having

0:44:42no bad policy.

0:44:44I was on the council that did make that policy then can't we

0:44:49turn around and change that policy also

0:44:53Yes you could change the policy but you have

0:44:55to bear in mind that the money that is in the account now

0:44:58was collected from developers for it

0:45:01for the purposes that were listed

0:45:03in the ordinance at the time that they were collected

0:45:06if you redirected them.

0:45:08If you changed the policy now developers who had paid

0:45:12into the fund to pay for public art

0:45:16or members of the arts community who believe that those funds

0:45:20would be directed towards a public arts program

0:45:24may have questions about whether or not

0:45:27simply changing the policy to use for another purpose

0:45:30is an appropriate thing to do so that so that statement is

0:45:35about projects that have already been

0:45:38where the developer has already put it putting the money right.

0:45:42That's correct So what we could say is for the future of then

0:45:49we could change the policy Yeah.

0:45:53Still having to look at that.

0:45:55The question that I had about how to use that then something

0:46:00that's a start our staff position out of a fund

0:46:06where you don't really know how much is going to be realized.

0:46:10And they current period necessarily.

0:46:16So today unless we're just saying whatever

0:46:20is already in there.

0:46:21When you say we're saying we can't really go after what's

0:46:26already in there so it would be future dollars

0:46:31That would be funded through this process.

0:46:35With development and those dollars how could

0:46:39we fund staff hours that way.

0:46:44I don't see how we could do that.

0:46:47Am I missing something.

0:46:49No.

0:46:49Well so legally I would say that while that yes

0:46:54the city council can change the policy

0:46:56but I think you also have.

0:46:58But there is there is a legal limit

0:47:00to how broadly the City Council could modify the program.

0:47:04You have to remember that.

0:47:06And this is why additionally I wanted to provide a little bit

0:47:09of background about the fee is that it's not it's

0:47:12not it's not directly a fee.

0:47:15The real requirement is one that requires the new development

0:47:19to actually provide public art.

0:47:23The ordinance allows developers to pay a fee in lieu

0:47:26of providing the public But but but the baseline requirement is

0:47:31to actually provide public art.

0:47:34The city council could brought in what the definition of what

0:47:38is public art.

0:47:41But I think that since the the requirements

0:47:46that the legal basis for chart for their apartment

0:47:49is one that compels developers to include public art

0:47:52is the use of the only leave fee payments

0:47:56would have to be within the bounds of reason

0:47:59of what could argue to be characterized

0:48:02as a public art project.

0:48:05And so while we can change while the city council can change

0:48:08the program I think we'd have to be careful about how broadly we

0:48:11expanded it to make sure that that

0:48:14is what I challenge a judge.

0:48:16I look at it and I believe believe that that what was

0:48:19being funded was public art.

0:48:21What I'm concerned about understanding way

0:48:24that how to make it work is with the library hours

0:48:29we're talking about salaried staff salaries

0:48:34you know like every month every day

0:48:36you know that that sort of thing that there's

0:48:38a person coming to work in the library and getting

0:48:42paid for doing that work.

0:48:47So how could we do.

0:48:51How could we budget for that not knowing what

0:48:54the expected income will be in that category from the arts

0:48:58fund even if we did manage to change things so that it would

0:49:04satisfy our legal requirements.

0:49:07Well so let me I'll take that since there's a legal aspect

0:49:11to this I'll address that but that part of this

0:49:15is not what the question you're asking is not legal.

0:49:18What I would say is that first I think initial question from

0:49:22council members from their pro tem FDLE was what can we do

0:49:26with these funds that are in the account now you're asking

0:49:31a very reasonable additional question which is even if we

0:49:36adjusted the program now of its program to broaden the scope

0:49:42would we be able would we don't know basically

0:49:47the replenishment of funds account depend on the timing

0:49:50of development projects which we can't predict and so tying

0:49:55future funding to to the to the deposit of funds from new

0:50:02development INTO THE PUBLIC ARTS account would be problematic

0:50:05not just legally but but because we don't really know

0:50:09what the what that schedule

0:50:11of deposits would look like because it's

0:50:12dependent on development projects moving forward.

0:50:15So I think so I just I I just want to differentiate

0:50:19that the initial question was about the use of funds that are

0:50:21already in the account at the conversation I

0:50:32to now have it with I think I actually wrote before.

0:50:38Go ahead.

0:50:38I was the first person who spoke and I was trying to understand

0:50:41how this would work.

0:50:43So I'm actually taking my question

0:50:46back to that point in time today rather than when I'm a member.

0:50:54I do Okamoto became I understand.

0:50:58So Janet what's your question.

0:51:01My question is how do we find something that

0:51:04is you know like so many say even dollars How do we budget

0:51:11for it for that type of money where we don't get where we

0:51:17don't realize that unless the project happens or happens

0:51:20that year So if I if I may Janet there's there's

0:51:27that question is a legitimate question.

0:51:30So the way I understand it right now the questions

0:51:32the are can we use the arts fund the current money that's

0:51:38in the arts fund for this purpose.

0:51:40We've gotten an opinion from the city attorney that says no.

0:51:44The next question would be which was part of your question.

0:51:49Can we change the rules so that we can use the arts fund.

0:51:53The answer I sent the guidance I think we got from the city

0:51:56attorney was future money which I agree with you is speculative

0:51:59because it relies on projects that

0:52:03are not necessarily going to go forward at this point time.

0:52:07So I agree with you speculative money

0:52:09which is future money could be used for this

0:52:12if we change the definition.

0:52:14But it's speculative and therefore we should not

0:52:17be using that as the justification for a set

0:52:21cost of as much as 20 or 25 thousand dollars a year

0:52:25to two to go towards this library under the new

0:52:33under a potential new definition of public art.

0:52:36I think that's the two questions that are on the table

0:52:39did I summarize that those OK for you Janet.

0:52:42Yeah.

0:52:43Thank you.

0:52:44OK.

0:52:44I know it goes Gabe Richelle.

0:52:47And then Paul it's the way I killed the order is.

0:52:51Thank you Mayor I appreciate it.

0:52:54I wanted to let folks know that I read

0:52:58a public comment from Marlene Keller who

0:53:01is on the library foundation.

0:53:03I appreciate her note to us and she mentioned

0:53:07that the additional hour a separate charges in the past

0:53:11were supposed to be for program And so I appreciated

0:53:16that email from her.

0:53:19And with programming on in the future

0:53:23with these additional powers that I would like to keep

0:53:28would be great that to have programs dealing with the arts

0:53:33from our librarians and I. The last during this Kovic week

0:53:38I've been looking at the history of libraries

0:53:42And during difficult times it was libraries

0:53:45set florist libraries that were built

0:53:48during these difficult times because of the books

0:53:52didn't Denver.

0:53:54Going through the deep depression

0:53:56and during these deep depression times of the 1930s library's

0:54:01built library programs were enriched

0:54:05and and that's what people had to do in their spare time

0:54:08when they didn't have any jobs so looking at we have now

0:54:13and looking at supposed to play a way where we can

0:54:18remove enter into fund loan.

0:54:23The arts program.

0:54:25I'm hoping that we can use that for education

0:54:28education for our children and our residents

0:54:32here and also out.

0:54:34So I'm hoping that we can use this part fund

0:54:37as a Interest Fund loan to enrich and to educate

0:54:43health Street residents.

0:54:46With the additional hours and this

0:54:49is programming that I believe deals of education

0:54:53education and the arts.

0:54:55So I truly believe that call fidelity his idea with using

0:55:02the arts funding moneys.

0:55:04It's a strong possibility this entire on loan.

0:55:07I think we should look at and and in my opinion

0:55:11I believe we can use this and definitely we

0:55:14should pay this back because we do have projects

0:55:19on the road that will include public art

0:55:22but in the meantime in this difficult time

0:55:24I believe we can a fund this fund us not through our council

0:55:31money for traveling and all of us

0:55:34play leadership roles across the state of California.

0:55:38And if that's important in making

0:55:41sure that we have a say in the state and how things go here.

0:55:47So that's my opinion.

0:55:50So I appreciate the city attorney speaking on this

0:55:53and I would support this Interphone loan that we

0:55:58could present Thank you.

0:56:02Speaking order now is Rachelle Paul Karen OK saddle.

0:56:09I disagree with Council Member Cato.

0:56:11I know that Council Member Cato does serve in many leadership

0:56:15roles and I think that those roles can for the most part

0:56:18continue I think that with Hovde 19 we're not

0:56:23we're going to have a lot of our events and field

0:56:25trips cancelled anyway.

0:56:27We're not going to be able to go to a lot of these events

0:56:30that we went to before but I just wanted to share

0:56:33with the public how expensive these events are

0:56:36and I really personally don't feel comfortable going

0:56:39to these events knowing that I could not go to an event

0:56:45and we could have the library open for another day a week

0:56:50particularly a weekend day where a lot people can get out

0:56:54and enjoy the library when we go to conferences.

0:56:59We get our our air flight paid for we each get our own hotel

0:57:04room our meals are paid for there is

0:57:07the expense of the conference itself

0:57:11and any council member at this point

0:57:13has been able to go if they want to.

0:57:15So there could be like four of us going at the same time

0:57:19to the same convention In addition to the four

0:57:23council members we often have four or five

0:57:26six staff members there.

0:57:28And when you add that all up it's a lot of money.

0:57:31And I think like I said I think a lot of this stuff's

0:57:34not going to happen this year anyway because we're just not

0:57:38going to be able to gather large groups like that

0:57:42but we could rethink how we do things.

0:57:43We can just one representative though and represent us all.

0:57:48Maybe maybe there's two people want a committee.

0:57:50Well those two people that are on the committee

0:57:51are the only two that go you know we go to.

0:57:56We go to conferences in Sacramento

0:57:59well before we each had our own hotel

0:58:01room you know stayed overnight We don't

0:58:04have to pay for that you can commute

0:58:06back and forth to Sacramento.

0:58:07We don't have to stay overnight in Sacramento.

0:58:10I went up a few months ago I did Sacramento trip turned around.

0:58:14Next day went back to Sacramento.

0:58:16I mean it is possible to save money in different ways

0:58:20so that we can keep the library open.

0:58:23A whole nother day a week I was fully

0:58:26prepared to on Sundays as well.

0:58:29I have it budgeted out so that we could save enough money so

0:58:33that we could keep it open on Sundays as well with a 14

0:58:37million dollar budget.

0:58:40Why are we arguing over know twenty

0:58:43thousand dollars or several to keep the library open.

0:58:48I mean talking about essential I understand

0:58:51and it's not as essential as police and fire

0:58:53because those are things that protect us.

0:58:56But it is something that is essential to our citizens

0:58:59and we have asked them to vote on things like measure e

0:59:04and we said we're going to do more with the library

0:59:06and really need to stick to what we said.

0:59:09I think we have made a lot of bad decisions

0:59:14over the last few years and you know I

0:59:18the public's been called us out on it

0:59:20and I heard this thing last night on the radio on NPR

0:59:26talking about how people can accidentally because of a group

0:59:31mentality sit by and watch something very bad happen

0:59:36and not act.

0:59:38And I feel like I'm very much guilty of that.

0:59:42You know we were looking at this budget I opened up

0:59:46my budget flipped from two years ago

0:59:48and I ask the right questions.

0:59:50I looked at these numbers and I said why is the city manager

0:59:56department go up by two hundred and eighty

1:00:00five thousand dollars like that doesn't seem right to me.

1:00:04When I asked the city manager he's explained

1:00:07it away and I didn't I didn't question

1:00:10it at the diets I didn't.

1:00:12I didn't say what I should have said.

1:00:14And so now I feel like it's my responsibility

1:00:17to stand up and say what needs to be

1:00:20said cutting these library hours is not right.

1:00:24This is the absolute last thing we should be cutting.

1:00:26It's not the first thing that we should be cutting

1:00:30and there's ways that we could do it still by cutting the city

1:00:33council budget and leaving the left library hours as

1:00:38much as we can alone providing those library

1:00:40hours to our citizens they deserve it.

1:00:44We don't deserve to go on flights to Long Beach

1:00:47on flights to Newport beach.

1:00:50While while the library is not open.

1:00:52It's not right that that's not what they're paying taxes.

1:00:56They don't you know I understand that we need to participate

1:00:59in the League of Cities.

1:01:00I do think it's important but it's not

1:01:03as important as keeping the library open

1:01:05and if if at the very last you know you want to transfer funds

1:01:11from the Art Fund OK fine.

1:01:13You know I might support that but there's other ways of doing

1:01:17and we really need to take a look at ourselves

1:01:19and see what we can do to cut the budget.

1:01:22And not make it on the backs of our citizens

1:01:25who really really need the library so to speak.

1:01:30I'd like.

1:01:31I know I know I know but the speaking

1:01:33order right now is Paul Karen.

1:01:35And then you play my hand up.

1:01:37Yes.

1:01:38But they had him up like 15 minutes ago.

1:01:41Thank you.

1:01:42Yeah.

1:01:43So thank you.

1:01:45I agree with that part of you.

1:01:48Okamoto on the need to keep the library open.

1:01:51But I disagree that it's only a 10 to 20 thousand dollar issue.

1:01:55We're talking about here There were people in this city that

1:01:58are suggesting that we take away all

1:02:00the money all that additional extended hours for our library.

1:02:05I'm opposed to that.

1:02:06What I'm for is a 10 percent cut and finding a way

1:02:10to pay for that immediately.

1:02:12Not challenging the other items that I think are a good start.

1:02:16The 5 percent plan the mayor put out

1:02:18is a good starting point for other cuts

1:02:21but I've separated that issue from what I'm talking about

1:02:24because there are people that want

1:02:25to cut 100 percent of our extended hours

1:02:28from the library We need the only cut 10 percent

1:02:32and plug that hole and end to the point of someone

1:02:35saying how do we pay for this.

1:02:37I think it was Janet Abelson don't we just pay the county

1:02:40this amount of money.

1:02:42That's the first that is for the staffing.

1:02:45So we have this large fund with a ton of money in there

1:02:49that no one knew where it was a couple of years ago.

1:02:52We have sitting there and quite frankly

1:02:55I don't agree that developers would question and oppose

1:02:58that we're going to pay ten or twenty

1:03:00thousand dollars to our library for arts programming.

1:03:04I also believe that we can change the policy

1:03:07for the existing money that's in the arts fund maybe

1:03:10sky convention we can make that change now

1:03:13we're going to be legislating all year

1:03:15here and making budget changes we can say with the arts fund

1:03:20whether it's a loan or paying for the programs which it

1:03:23sounds like we can do we can make that change

1:03:27but we're talking about people that want to take away

1:03:29the entire amount of funding the extended hours which

1:03:32will cut back a day or two.

1:03:34So later I want to talk about the 5 percent plan

1:03:39that the mayor has out there as I see additional.

1:03:42I'm for cutting back on all of these things.

1:03:44And In addition some other things.

1:03:46But on the library right now I think we should do a 10 percent

1:03:50cut and plug that hole with existing funding for arts

1:03:53program at the library Great.

1:03:56Thank you.

1:03:56Speaking order at this time is Karen Gabe

1:04:00and Janet I think Your Honor.

1:04:03I just wanted to clarify a few things.

1:04:07According to our staff Lee is on to the Arts and Culture

1:04:09Commission Maya Williams currently in the fund

1:04:12we have about one hundred forty thousand dollars much of it

1:04:16has been discussed by the Arts and Culture Commission.

1:04:19Of course the council does have the authority

1:04:21to reached the final authority on funding so but I just wanted

1:04:26to make sure that the council does did know that

1:04:31through through my head that the Arts and Culture Commission

1:04:33Doug has looked at that funding and and has some programming

1:04:38for that funding.

1:04:38So I just wanted to make that statement also.

1:04:42Well a couple of you have referenced this it is correct

1:04:45the way that the Library hours are calculated by the county

1:04:48are indeed based on their staffing needs

1:04:50so that is why the the numbers are what they are.

1:04:55And in addition I just wanted to make the you know just

1:04:59the observation that again as some of you

1:05:02have alluded to using one time we tried to avoid using one

1:05:06time money for ongoing operations

1:05:08and again in this instance it would.

1:05:11It could be temporary I understand that.

1:05:13I just want to make sure that the council you know

1:05:16thinks through if there is if they if you direct us to look

1:05:19at doing a loan from from a special fund

1:05:22to the general fund that will reflect in the way

1:05:26this has that we've been attempting to try to clear

1:05:28those things out of our audit.

1:05:30This this is something that I just want you to keep in mind

1:05:33that that that would be adding to the inter fund

1:05:37transfers that we have been discussing in our previous

1:05:40on it.

1:05:41So I just wanted to make those clarifications

1:05:44and of course a any any other questions I'm available.

1:05:48Thank you.

1:05:48All right.

1:05:49Thank you.

1:05:49Speaking order at this time is Gabe and Dana put your name

1:05:53in there because I'm assuming that you

1:05:54want to respond to the fact you were named responsibility.

1:05:59Thank you Mayor.

1:06:00I just want to reiterate that I support

1:06:04what they pro tem mentioned 10 percent

1:06:08cut is across the board.

1:06:12I truly believe in that and then using the entire fund

1:06:17loan to put money back into the library

1:06:22I definitely support that.

1:06:23That's a good way to do it and to keep the library open.

1:06:27And I also agree in some points with Council Member Pardue

1:06:31Okamoto looking at that and I truly

1:06:35believe a lot of the travel that's been happening

1:06:38through the years have been taken advantage of

1:06:41and done many of us have not been any leadership roles.

1:06:44But you see the same people taking these expensive trips

1:06:48time and time again.

1:06:49And I want to let people know that in different cities

1:06:53the city of Emily Bell for example

1:06:55they only left one person attend these meetings so I support

1:07:01having one person to attend.

1:07:06And if we have another person in a leadership role

1:07:09I would support that.

1:07:10So as my time as one of the leaders of the East Bay

1:07:15division and President of the API

1:07:17caucus you know many of my trips for paid for by the Caucus

1:07:24took trips for so the extra trips

1:07:28that I had to do as president of the caucus

1:07:31I plan on being president for two years in the next two years

1:07:35from another caucus and I'm going to be

1:07:38chair of the East Bay division.

1:07:40So not many small cities get to have

1:07:44the opportunity to have leadership

1:07:46and so I definitely disagree with you.

1:07:50Council member Pardue Okamoto I'm hoping that you can

1:07:55participate and play an active role in the League of Cities

1:07:59and just interview when you could be part of the leadership

1:08:02reflected like as well.

1:08:04We welcome everyone so but you'd have to ask and apply

1:08:08so when this goes to my colleagues on the council

1:08:12this is important that we play a role in what happens in budgets

1:08:18and especially on the environmental committee police

1:08:21our fire chief and our chief of police.

1:08:25They play an important role what we do with the League of Cities

1:08:28as well.

1:08:29So.

1:08:30No please don't discount what we do because we

1:08:34have a role in what we have to do

1:08:36and state how the state is run.

1:08:39And so I agree with doing this inter fund loan

1:08:43and I hope my colleagues agree with me.

1:08:45We should look into that.

1:08:47This is a possibility.

1:08:49This has nothing to do with what we're doing on the budget.

1:08:54With the city council wouldn't remember

1:08:58we are the lowest paid council members.

1:09:00We don't get aid are of a small small stipend we'll just

1:09:05take care of the dry cleaning.

1:09:07And if you look at the survey elsewhere you

1:09:10know council members are the lowest paid period.

1:09:14So this is a volunteer gag and I'm

1:09:17doing this because I love my city

1:09:19and I want to make a difference.

1:09:20So this way we can make sure that our council

1:09:24members have a say in what goes on in the state of California.

1:09:27But we can also provide the extra library

1:09:31hours to provide program a education for residents and.

1:09:37Thank you Great.

1:09:38Thank you Janet.

1:09:40This year an opportunity for you to make comments.

1:09:43Okay.

1:09:44And I want to go back to this issue of taking money out

1:09:51of the fund and I understand the idea

1:09:56of a loan that I sort of cringe at the using that word

1:10:01and in relationship to thinking about it or for example

1:10:05but what if we just we didn't loan it we actually gave it

1:10:11permanently.

1:10:11So if we have one hundred and forty

1:10:13thousand that's the correct number in there

1:10:16right now the Art Fund yes.

1:10:19So what have we figured out what the.

1:10:23Whatever the dollar amount would be

1:10:24that would be going into the art excuse the library fund

1:10:29to pay for whatever we can't pay for the Monday services

1:10:33it doesn't sound like because it's not

1:10:35going to effort by the county so that actually

1:10:38it isn't for whatever it is.

1:10:41I'm not I'm not I'm not discussing right at the moment

1:10:45but what if we said that it was not a land from the open

1:10:49but rather a designated use from the Ark Fund

1:10:56and that it did not have to be repaid.

1:10:59Yes I believe that's what Mr. Fidelity's

1:11:01opening position was until Paul let

1:11:05me please if I may find him.

1:11:07I we can't do that because of the because

1:11:11of the existing nature of the transaction That's right.

1:11:16Right.

1:11:17However however I think there is a there is a potential loophole

1:11:22that we could take advantage of that

1:11:26I would like to explore although I'm not.

1:11:31This is going to be similar to my asking

1:11:33for rock lined ditch in in 15 15 Evans or 17 15 Elm the.

1:11:41The potential loophole that that is that we could do a loan

1:11:47from the arts fund to the general fund that is reduced

1:11:57if if the library can say just consist I was the one

1:12:01supposedly talking anyway.

1:12:03What if he said that it's it's not that it would be

1:12:13acknowledges the way it acquired for the moment that would come

1:12:17from the existing iPhone to be repaid by future receipts

1:12:20to the Art Fund based on a change in the definition.

1:12:28Yes well now we're not even necessarily ready if necessary

1:12:34but the main point is that it will not

1:12:37be repaid from the general fund And my proposal is slightly

1:12:44different but of the same ilk which is I bet the library can

1:12:48demonstrate that they have twenty thousand

1:12:50dollars programs in a year.

1:12:52We just we would have to force them

1:12:55to designate those portions of their annual expenditures.

1:13:00That is targeted to programs such as reading and other types

1:13:07of demonstrations of programs that they

1:13:09run within the library.

1:13:11So it is because a and I will This is opinion a inter fund

1:13:17loan is how we got to our problem that we have

1:13:22and it's a slippery slope that if we as a as a body

1:13:27start using that tool to cover our general fund efficiencies

1:13:34then we are no different than borrowing from any other fund

1:13:38so that is not that is not a policy at Inter fund loan

1:13:41is not something that I am wholeheartedly supporting.

1:13:46But if the entire fund loan and what

1:13:49Janet you've got it for funding from future

1:13:52and we change the definition or if we're loaning

1:13:57with the intent that the programming that the library

1:14:00does in a year will basically demonstrate

1:14:04that it's not a loan that is actually a payment for it.

1:14:08And so it's an appropriate use for their arts program

1:14:11those are the those are the conditions

1:14:13under which I like you.

1:14:16Councilman Reynolds and I would support

1:14:19Rochelle Rochelle and Paul I both know both your hands

1:14:22space.

1:14:23My my chance of talking to the right thing

1:14:30is I've actually spent a lot of hours on the library over time

1:14:34I've gone to state conferences.

1:14:38I really spent a lot of time in the library in the past

1:14:42and one of the things that I thought

1:14:46is an important point in this situation is

1:14:51that what county is trying to fund with these hours

1:14:56is staff to have the library open and the it to do that they

1:15:02need people who are with library skills

1:15:06to do various job functions that are needed

1:15:11don't just offer a program and then I mean we could do that

1:15:16but that wouldn't keep the library open.

1:15:19That would be doing special programming perhaps

1:15:23but so I thought that that and maybe I'm

1:15:28wrong that the key here was that people were wanting the library

1:15:32first and foremost open Sunday that's not going to happen

1:15:37because the of the county is so bad or they appear to be

1:15:42about to say that and so the program would have to be either

1:15:52the special programming that we're talking about that might

1:15:56offer a special program say or it would have to be to sustain

1:16:02the library hours the hours that the library is opened that are

1:16:08not Sunday Am I correct.

1:16:15Yes that's why I'm.

1:16:17If you may.

1:16:18Are you done because we do need moving we're supposed to stop.

1:16:21I think you had a hard stop in twenty five in 1944.

1:16:25That's we still have a long way to go OK.

1:16:31Paul and Rochelle and Paul I know your hands were up

1:16:34but I'd like to go to the public.

1:16:35We have three public comments Mayor at the time

1:16:45that we published our agenda packet we had to date

1:16:48received thirty three comments between the original April

1:16:5217th meeting the postponed item from the twenty first.

1:16:56Those were all published with the original packet

1:16:59and then the public comments received by 4:00 p.m.

1:17:03Deadline yesterday were provided directly

1:17:05to the city council in advance of the meeting

1:17:07and also posted online.

1:17:09Those comments were received by Michael Fisher and Miller

1:17:13and then since that deadline we have received

1:17:16three additional comments.

1:17:18If you could mayor just confirm the three

1:17:20minute time per speaker.

1:17:23I can proceed.

1:17:24Now let's do two and a half if you would please certainly OK.

1:17:33I will begin with the first comment submitted.

1:17:35Now I watched some of the canceled the meeting Tuesday

1:17:40night and felt more confused at the end of the meeting

1:17:42than before the meeting I recognized that council was

1:17:45trying to give us clear information

1:17:47but it felt like everything became less clear.

1:17:50I would like to request the following the city manager

1:17:53finance director issue a one page update which clearly

1:17:56states won the projected deficit for 1920

1:18:00and the assumptions used to come up with that to predict

1:18:04projected deficit for 2021 and the assumptions used

1:18:07to come up with that.

1:18:08I understand that number is a moving target

1:18:11but I would like to know what the current number is.

1:18:14I would also like a clear explanation

1:18:16as to why the finance directors number is

1:18:18so different from the consultants number

1:18:21I also would love to know how the deficit for nineteen twenty

1:18:24will affect twenty twenty one if we come into 2021 with a three

1:18:29to four million dollar deficit.

1:18:31Doesn't that mean additional cuts for that amount

1:18:34have to be made on top of the 4 million and proposed cuts

1:18:383 list of cuts made or proposed.

1:18:41Being clear which are which are nineteen twenty four

1:18:44list of cuts made or proposed for twenty twenty

1:18:47one five explanation as to why substantive cuts have not

1:18:51been made for fiscal year nineteen

1:18:53twenty six explanation as to why newly

1:18:56proposed cuts will occur given that the budget

1:18:58process has changed.

1:19:007.

1:19:01Answer the question as to what the current interest

1:19:03rate for the 9 million dollar loan is

1:19:06and define that in dollar costs.

1:19:09Answer the same question as to what

1:19:11interest rates are projected.

1:19:12If we get a new loan and translate into dollar cost

1:19:16I would like to request the city manager be required to call all

1:19:20of this information into her next report I would also

1:19:23suggest that council and staff stop

1:19:25saying we are on the right track for the pandemic.

1:19:29We may have ended 1920 without a deficit

1:19:32or this that is uncertain.

1:19:34But within the realm of possibility

1:19:37that if we were on the right track

1:19:38we would have had a minimum of 10 percent reserves

1:19:41which could have been helped helping us.

1:19:43Now that did not happen there are a year's worth of kafirs

1:19:47that saying that they are is going

1:19:50concern as a material issue or stated it as a pending issue.

1:19:55Clearly we are not on the right track.

1:19:57Thank you.

1:19:57Submitted from Kathy and Bill read resident

1:20:06in the next public comments.

1:20:07Now your city council members for transparency the city

1:20:13manager and finance director should

1:20:14issue a concise page update.

1:20:16It clearly states without the preamble about Kobe 19

1:20:20and any other excuses for why else

1:20:22read finances are in shambles.

1:20:251 The projected deficit for 1920 and the assumption that number

1:20:31two projected deficit for 2020 1 and the assumptions

1:20:34used to come up with that number What is the current number.

1:20:40Why is the finance directors number so different

1:20:42from the consultants number.

1:20:44Will the deficit for 1920 will affect

1:20:472021 if we come into 2021 with a 3 to 4 million dollar deficit.

1:20:52Will that mean additional cuts or that amount

1:20:55have to be made on top of the 4 million in proposed cuts.

1:21:013 list of cuts made or proposed being clear which

1:21:04is which for Fiscal Year 1981 and staff cuts

1:21:08made or proposed for 2021 5 explanation

1:21:12as to why substantive change.

1:21:13The cuts have not been made for fiscal year 1920.

1:21:17Explain why the city matter.

1:21:18JR has accepted no responsibility

1:21:20for the financial situation our city is it.

1:21:23Explain why the city manager and senior staff who

1:21:26are at high salaries have not taken

1:21:28pay cuts six explanation as to why

1:21:31newly proposed cuts will occur given that the budget

1:21:34process has changed.

1:21:367 What is the current interest rate for the 9 million

1:21:39dollar loan.

1:21:40And how much does that actually mean in dollar costs

1:21:43when interest rates are projected if we

1:21:45get the next loan and translate into lower costs

1:21:48I would like to request that the city

1:21:50manager be required to put all of this information in here

1:21:53next report.

1:21:54If the city manager past and current

1:21:56had been doing their job Speedo would

1:21:58have had a 10 percent reserve and our bond

1:22:01rating would be higher.

1:22:02The Kafirs say that there has been an ongoing concern.

1:22:06Clearly we are not on the right track

1:22:08and it's time for city management to own up to it

1:22:10take responsibility be accountable and share

1:22:13in the burden of resurrecting this city

1:22:16submitted from Baquba chan.

1:22:17Else Rita resident third comments submitted

1:22:25tonight getting in time now.

1:22:37You may your mayor and councilman.

1:22:39City Council.

1:22:40I'm listening to the discussion and one

1:22:42to applaud council members are due Okamoto for their support

1:22:45of library and her deep understanding of the need

1:22:47for all departments to do their job and intervene love

1:22:50seems like another mistake and appreciate the city

1:22:53manager for pointing this out.

1:22:55The city council members.

1:22:56Sincerely Sherry Donner.

1:22:59If this time that does conclude the additional comments

1:23:02for this item.

1:23:03Thank you.

1:23:04Could you bring the worksheet back up

1:23:09and I know ROCHELLE Your hand is up first before Paul

1:23:12and we'll come back we'll come to you

1:23:14but I'm hoping that potentially you can

1:23:17in when I give the mike over to you.

1:23:20Please go through your proposed changes

1:23:23to this table and we can add at a minimum

1:23:28begin to actually talk about the hard work that we have to do

1:23:32and certainly when we get to the library hours

1:23:36whether it stays in this department budget

1:23:39or goes to another department budget

1:23:40we still need to make a firm recommendation

1:23:45before we conclude today.

1:23:48So Rochelle and then Paul OK so first

1:23:52off I'd like to say that I was fully prepared to come up

1:23:57with a budget that would fully fund

1:24:01the library at one hundred and twenty nine thousand a year.

1:24:05A hundred and twenty nine thousand out

1:24:07of the forty million dollar budget to keep our library open

1:24:11but considering that the county is doing a forced cut where

1:24:17they are forcing us to go from one hundred

1:24:20and twenty nine thousand to one hundred and eleven thousand

1:24:23I believe it is went to five hundred for easy math.

1:24:26Yes we have already made cuts to the library.

1:24:30That is a cut to the library and quick mathematician

1:24:34can tell you what the exact percentage is

1:24:36but that is already cut to the library.

1:24:41There are other cuts that are on here that

1:24:44are potential cuts that I think would

1:24:48help keep the library open.

1:24:50But would it would.

1:24:55Well it would help keep the library open.

1:24:59So like I said we've already made our cuts from one twenty

1:25:03nine to one hundred and eleven libraries

1:25:06that aren't even Point of Point of order just to order.

1:25:10If you look at the sheet that's up the line item

1:25:13is only at one hundred and one thousand.

1:25:15So by proposing a budget of one hundred and eleven you you

1:25:20are you are adding cost into that line item over

1:25:25what was planned.

1:25:26So just I understand hypothetically

1:25:30that the cuts the cut in hours have occurred for us

1:25:33by the county at the cost of going to one hundred eleven

1:25:35thousand five hundred is actually

1:25:38an increase in our in that Costa to us

1:25:41as it was budgeted just just point of order.

1:25:44We've got.

1:25:45Please proceed.

1:25:46Right.

1:25:46And yes I'm.

1:25:48It's unfortunate that this that this is not

1:25:51an updated chart but I'm also looking

1:25:54at it in terms of percentages.

1:25:56So I'm thinking of the total budget of what we currently

1:25:58have and what the drop in percentage

1:26:01is if we are going to be dropping

1:26:03in percentages all budgets I am looking across line items here.

1:26:10I see there's telephone expenses Looks

1:26:13like it's only one council member

1:26:15that has telephone expenses.

1:26:16So that's something that could potentially

1:26:18be cut travel and training.

1:26:20Like I said we're going to I mean

1:26:25I realized that twelve thousand nine hundred fifty dollars

1:26:29is probably more than we'd be able to cut.

1:26:33There are a few essential things that need to be done.

1:26:36That being said though once again I

1:26:38mean how many of these things are actually going to happen.

1:26:42We have the annual conference which

1:26:45is I think one of the biggest expenses we all flew down

1:26:49or most of us flew down and many staff members flew down to Long

1:26:52Beach last year or the conference will that even

1:26:57happened this year Likely not likely that's not going

1:27:01to happen likely we're gonna be in it

1:27:02ending up doing some conferencing at least

1:27:05in the one year short term.

1:27:07I mean that's that's thousands of dollars saved right there.

1:27:11I would like to know what those actual savings of everyone

1:27:15not going to the conference and doing a zoom call instead

1:27:18would actually be before we do any inter

1:27:21fund transfers because that's that's a big potential savings

1:27:25right there.

1:27:26Same thing goes for many of our other caucuses and meetings

1:27:31we've been doing all these calls.

1:27:33I see that continuing into the future.

1:27:36There's this I believe that we could probably

1:27:40go down this number by this year at least probably

1:27:44about ten thousand dollars if not more And then events

1:27:48and field trips same way if you look at I'm kind of looking

1:27:52at this maximum reduction column events

1:27:56and field trips we have eighteen thousand dollars so

1:28:00almost getting close to twenty thousand dollars

1:28:03that we do it every year for that It says the maximum

1:28:06reduction is ten thousand.

1:28:07We could probably do at least that if not more.

1:28:11Once again we're not getting together

1:28:12we're not doing these dinners we're not going

1:28:15to these mass group meetings.

1:28:17We have Let's see the conference dinners and meals do's

1:28:27and meals I mean I know the dues probably have to be paid

1:28:32but a lot of these meal expenses they could be cut out

1:28:38and once again this is what we're looking for this year.

1:28:43I'm completely not opposed to making bigger cuts

1:28:47to the library in the future if absolutely necessary

1:28:51but I'm quite offended by the fact

1:28:53that this was the first thing that we were presented with.

1:28:57Well aside from the Fourth of July

1:29:00I mean these are two items that I feel like you just have been

1:29:03at the bottom of our list and what we were

1:29:05cutting I think there's so many things

1:29:07that we need to cut first.

1:29:09In terms of how we're spending our money.

1:29:13Like I said earlier I have made some objections

1:29:16to our former city manager about the raises

1:29:19that we're being implemented.

1:29:20I highly regret approving those raises in retrospect.

1:29:25And I think that there's a lot that we

1:29:28could cut throughout the city.

1:29:30That doesn't make the library the first thing

1:29:33so I really feel like we could ultimately table most of this

1:29:40and just keep funding the Library of what we're funding

1:29:42it at making necessary cuts along this maximum reduction

1:29:47line and then if really necessary if we're looking you

1:29:52know six months down the road we've made all the other cuts

1:29:55that we could possibly make and we still need to cut more then

1:29:59we come back to the library and say OK

1:30:01well we thought we could do this but now

1:30:04we're going to have to do that.

1:30:06I feel like doing this the first thing out that is

1:30:08is not the way to go but I'll keep going down the line.

1:30:13I think it's you know we have this budget a rather

1:30:17large budget here or livestream mean and contrasting council

1:30:23maybe meetings or radio broadcast

1:30:26I really think it's important to keep the public informed.

1:30:29But that is something I would consider

1:30:32looking at also before completely

1:30:35reducing library hours.

1:30:38For example a lot of people don't even

1:30:42have cable I don't have cable you know a lot of people

1:30:46do live stream or maybe how many.

1:30:48I guess I'm when I saw this line item I was thinking well

1:30:51how many people actually utilize each service they'd

1:30:54be interested in just looking to see like how many people

1:30:58actually listen to the radio.

1:30:59Is there any way that we could cut this down.

1:31:01But at this point I wouldn't make any any cuts

1:31:05to IT business cards and plaques name

1:31:08tags all that kind of stuff.

1:31:10I think we could cut as much as we possibly can meals.

1:31:15We don't we don't need meals.

1:31:16We can we can make our own meals before council meeting

1:31:19we can buy our own meals and bring

1:31:21our own meals in for council meetings if necessary.

1:31:26Photocopying charges.

1:31:27I think the rest of us that are should following Craig's steps

1:31:33and really try to move more digital

1:31:36we could cut down on some paper costs and things like that.

1:31:41I mean I think that there's plenty

1:31:43of room to make a 10 percent reduction

1:31:45completely fund the library.

1:31:49And well I think that there's ways to do it.

1:31:55I don't think we have to do it today to be quite honest.

1:31:57I think that this should be our last cut not our first.

1:32:01But if I'm forced to vote on it on something today

1:32:04I might but I can say that I will I will not.

1:32:07I will not support reducing the libraries any further

1:32:11than they've already been reduced

1:32:12which is we've already gotten rid of sundaes

1:32:15it's already a tragedy.

1:32:16I don't want to do any more than that.

1:32:19Great.

1:32:20Thank you for those comments.

1:32:21City Clerk.

1:32:23It was I know that Council Member Abel some cannot see

1:32:26the screen but if you could please make some changes

1:32:30to based on the comments that have given to us in the 10

1:32:36columns we'll just use that.

1:32:38Second the last column is our as a potential working column

1:32:41I'd like to see some changes that you could put

1:32:44a positive ten thousand five hundred

1:32:47in the library hours base Ed mayor.

1:32:52I mean I am actually just displaying

1:32:54the PD effort that I like.

1:32:56This is not editable document at this point I haven't taking

1:33:00notes but I'm able to change the document that we

1:33:03are displaying currently.

1:33:05Got it.

1:33:07That was that had been my whole point.

1:33:09When I was chatting with you OK So just to.

1:33:13Just because obviously at some point we do

1:33:15need to look at the actual dollars.

1:33:18If there was a positive ten thousand dollars there then

1:33:21we used the maximum cuts of negative 13

1:33:25thousand negative ten thousand and negative six hundred.

1:33:31Keeping the communications we would have a total reduction

1:33:37of about well 13 thousand what would that

1:33:42be if we had a thirteen thousand reduction

1:33:44in our overall budget.

1:33:46What percentage would that be So if we are looking at what's

1:33:53on the screen now that fiscal year 20 projected number two

1:33:57hundred sixteen thousand budget a five percent reduction

1:34:00to that would be roughly ten thousand

1:34:02six hundred fifty fifty dollars if we were to increase

1:34:07that fiscal year twenty one projected budget to increase

1:34:12by ten thousand which is the additional costs for keeping

1:34:14the libraries as fully funded as we have the ability to do

1:34:18at this point a 5 percent reduction would be roughly

1:34:21eleven thousand three hundred fifty dollars

1:34:23and a 10 percent reduction would be roughly twenty two

1:34:26thousand seven hundred right.

1:34:28Would be you so twenty two thousand today.

1:34:30The other reductions that are on here which

1:34:34would be the thirteen thousand training

1:34:36and travel the ten and events in ten ten intervention and field

1:34:42trips and the six hundred in general office supplies

1:34:47would get to that number that you are just giving the 10

1:34:51percent number that you gave us that when he went

1:34:54it would be twenty three thousand is that the number

1:34:57any of this.

1:34:58That is correct.

1:35:00Gabe Your hand is up.

1:35:01Go ahead.

1:35:02No I was Max.

1:35:03No not according to.

1:35:05Oh yes Paul you are next up and then Gabe I put putting

1:35:08my hand up this is Janet.

1:35:10OK.

1:35:11The speaking list is Paul Paul.

1:35:14Gabe.

1:35:14Janet.

1:35:16Thank you.

1:35:18I'm going.

1:35:19I think going down the list is Rochelle.

1:35:22Part you motor did is useful.

1:35:24I wanted to start with what's on page of our packet

1:35:27from a couple of nights ago to eighty three

1:35:30the 5 percent reduction for the city that the mayor set out

1:35:34and the 10000 ten point eight thousand dollars in cuts

1:35:40as a starting point and then I wanted to talk about what

1:35:44I would add based on the graph.

1:35:46So I'm starting out with a 5 percent

1:35:49with ten point seven savings.

1:35:52I would definitely take away the meals

1:35:57we don't need to have meals.

1:35:58I would support cutting travel if it wasn't for leadership

1:36:01roles by two thousand extra thousand dollars

1:36:05two thousand dollars.

1:36:07I believe there doesn't need to be any commission dinner

1:36:10or event subsequent to that.

1:36:12So I would even think our staff and

1:36:14our commissioners and our citizens

1:36:16understand what's going on here.

1:36:19I would if cable or streaming since systems were down

1:36:24and we were not covered as the city council I would vote

1:36:27against this budget because as far as transparency

1:36:31goes we don't have enough media or newspapers

1:36:36covering our process.

1:36:38We at least have to have that public process.

1:36:41My question is and I don't know who can answer that.

1:36:44I agree with Rachelle comment about radio.

1:36:47I don't think.

1:36:48I'm not sure anyone listens to us

1:36:50on the radio That would be about four thousand

1:36:52dollars worth of savings.

1:36:54So that's basically what I would do.

1:36:59Councilman Quinto talked about our low salaries

1:37:03if it's important to the community about a symbolic 10

1:37:06percent Council cut that's going to mean 40 dollars a month.

1:37:09I could go with that you know.

1:37:12But finally and again I favorites

1:37:15Rachelle on this library should not

1:37:18be cut other than the 10 percent that we're asking

1:37:21you for every other department.

1:37:23And then my request again was to fill that gap

1:37:26with the arts fund money.

1:37:28So in essence there would be no cut to the library.

1:37:32The one point I wanted to make is

1:37:34that as far as I'm against alone to I agree with the mayor

1:37:38that the land is not the way to go.

1:37:40That if the council can change its ordinances

1:37:45we could change the ordinance to actually pay

1:37:47for the additional hours that have been cut from our library

1:37:50from the arts fund and put conditions on there

1:37:53for art projects at the library.

1:37:55So I would put against this budget if the library hours or

1:37:59penciled out and if the screaming and the cable issues

1:38:03were penciled out and those are my comments Mr. Mayor.

1:38:07So Mr. Findlay I want to go down.

1:38:10I went very quickly in events and field trips.

1:38:13What was the change you're proposing above the 78 19

1:38:17reduction that's in 9 Another couple thousand

1:38:21dollars cut off the top.

1:38:23Based nothing that I think we have a bare bones

1:38:27budget and prioritize leadership roles for our city

1:38:31and I think we could cut back on that crazy game and then

1:38:38Janet Thank you Mayor.

1:38:43I agree.

1:38:44Again I want reiterate that I agree with Paul to Delhi.

1:38:48One thing I wanted to mention with my colleague

1:38:52catch my Papa to work in moto.

1:38:54I agree with her that we need to cut across the board

1:38:58and that includes our council budget as well.

1:39:03So I agree with her if we can slash

1:39:07travel and training events and field trips and just have the.

1:39:14If anyone is on leadership just to include leadership on this

1:39:19I would support that.

1:39:21We have a responsibility as one of the 19 cities and Contra

1:39:25Costa to participate and participate

1:39:29with the Contra Costa mayors conference as chair of

1:39:32the contract mayors conference.

1:39:34This is a responsibility that we we are obligated to do so.

1:39:39I do not support cutting fees for the League of Cities

1:39:44as vice president of the League of Cities division.

1:39:48They are our lobbyists.

1:39:50We work with them.

1:39:51So meeting up on a monthly basis I support that.

1:39:56And but I do not support everyone attending.

1:40:00If just one person that is a rule in many cities

1:40:04are having difficulties right now the city of Emeryville

1:40:08they only have one person.

1:40:11And whoever is a liaison or whoever has a leadership role

1:40:15year's conference or the League of Cities

1:40:19they are the person and not everyone attending.

1:40:22So I would support that with council member party

1:40:26Okamoto is to slash fees on that with the dues and meals.

1:40:34It's important for also Rito and our representatives

1:40:38to have the meetings held in El Serino.

1:40:41We play an important role in West County

1:40:44and Contra Costa County and statewide

1:40:47to have these meetings here.

1:40:50That's not every year but every third year

1:40:54so this is something where all leaders they love coming

1:40:58out to Elsa Brito went out we were

1:41:01able to have state leadership.

1:41:03California treasurer to block Fiona

1:41:06Ma attend Nelson read out.

1:41:10I do not want to take money out of that so

1:41:14making sure that we keep these.

1:41:19We play an important role again.

1:41:21As I say and what we do and how the county and state are run

1:41:27and as chair of the Mayors Conference I don't agree with

1:41:29slashing fees for the mayors conference or the League

1:41:32of Cities League of Cities I will support by having

1:41:36leadership attend or the liaison for now one for too many years

1:41:42we've had everybody attend and I never agreed with that then

1:41:46and I still don't agree with that so I agree with

1:41:49the rational part of the locomotive that this gets to be

1:41:53slashed and we need to have strong rules on this now one we

1:41:59had people that would miss flights and and not attend when

1:42:05they signed up for this and

1:42:06the city paid for this.

1:42:07That is not acceptable so I want people

1:42:10who want to make a difference and want

1:42:12to attend to being part of this let's be a part of this.

1:42:16And as a board member of the space vision please

1:42:21know that I insist that we pay our dues.

1:42:26We play an important role And I want

1:42:29to make sure that we keep that with the video and the radio

1:42:37I heard from a couple of speakers this past week who are

1:42:42not savvy online that they were able to listen to more council

1:42:47meetings because they put it on eighty eight point one

1:42:51so you know this is a small small fee.

1:42:54And many of our seniors who are not

1:42:57who don't use computers who actually uses a service I don't

1:43:01believe I don't have cable.

1:43:03And many folks don't have cable any longer

1:43:06and they can get this through break

1:43:09free from the radio station and through online

1:43:13through the city Web site.

1:43:14So I support that.

1:43:16I would support slashing and taking fees off

1:43:21and not having it on cable television.

1:43:24There are other ways and three ways to do this one.

1:43:27So but again looking at what else

1:43:33we need to slash this ten thousand six hundred forty

1:43:39I would support.

1:43:41I thousand six forty Oh yeah.

1:43:48That's that we have to make that much bigger.

1:43:51If we're gonna increase the library hours.

1:43:54Mr. Cato I just want to make sure I understand you.

1:43:56You are proposing to terminate our contract

1:44:00with panel TV is that correct.

1:44:02Yes.

1:44:03May not have cable and many people there give our free ways

1:44:09and getting this done.

1:44:10And you know that's that's my opinion.

1:44:13Thank you Joe so that would be your proposal

1:44:16would be to continue live streaming and radio.

1:44:18Is that correct.

1:44:19That's correct.

1:44:20So you will.

1:44:22Both ways for seniors they can just put on the radio on.

1:44:26And then we can stream this online

1:44:29for people that have computers.

1:44:31Great to me.

1:44:33Yeah.

1:44:34What's the value of this.

1:44:35The annual fee for multimedia.

1:44:37So apparently panel TV does charges

1:44:40about five hundred dollars per meeting

1:44:42that I have received an estimate from them

1:44:44because we are expecting a revised contract

1:44:46sometime this year.

1:44:48This was a discussion pre coded but that dollar figure

1:44:51comes to roughly fourteen thousand dollars

1:44:53estimated annually for the broadcast the live stream.

1:44:57Alternatively is an annual six thousand dollar

1:45:00cost to live stream on our Web site

1:45:02and for broadcasting on the rate or sorry for airing

1:45:06on the radio.

1:45:07It is two hundred dollars per council

1:45:10meeting to air on the radio.

1:45:12Thank you.

1:45:14I believe it's Janet.

1:45:16Okay.

1:45:19I just want to sort of present another approach to funding

1:45:25the council budget which is to let all council

1:45:29members participate in it by giving

1:45:33and a lot to each council member and then they choose which way

1:45:37they would within that allotment use it because it's not

1:45:45clear to me if we follow the policy you've got to be

1:45:47in leadership that you can do it but you don't get in leadership

1:45:52unless you participate first.

1:45:56And so I'm a little I'm not sure how well that would.

1:46:03I can see that we would.

1:46:06We can say whatever we want but let's

1:46:08say that we say 10 percent cut across the board every way

1:46:11or whatever.

1:46:13And we're trying to apply it to this particular budget.

1:46:16Then we could do it.

1:46:17But if you put all council members in the same place

1:46:23in the same line for example business card

1:46:27well how do we reduce our use of business cards by 10 percent

1:46:35or you know a lot of these things they nametag.

1:46:38I get a new nametag when I lose it

1:46:41or if I something like that you know these these are things

1:46:46that don't really occur as the function of a percent of money

1:46:51or something that may happen and they may not happen

1:46:55on my on third for example this year

1:46:57I haven't seen a cent I haven't had a single thing to eat

1:47:00this year that the city paid for I I was just thinking about it

1:47:08and said to reduce that by 10 percent.

1:47:12The food that I used is to reduce it by zero

1:47:16So some of these things don't make sense.

1:47:17But what does make sense is looking at the approach

1:47:21of the whole number has to be reduced

1:47:24giving people responsibility to reduce their part of it.

1:47:29And that would be not just within the city council budget

1:47:31but across the whole city operation recognizing too

1:47:37that not everyone not every department

1:47:39can reduced by the same amount of money

1:47:46for a variety of reasons.

1:47:48The I want to just as a almost side

1:47:53comment and say that my understanding of the reason

1:47:56the library came up now is that the county

1:47:58wanted an answer now.

1:48:00Is that right.

1:48:01Karin yes.

1:48:06That is correct.

1:48:07We need to inform the county librarian on the 30th

1:48:12of April so it wasn't.

1:48:17But it did look strange and it it speaks to the my point

1:48:21about when you combine particular topics as part

1:48:25of the Council budget you then throw

1:48:26that all end of the same thing and I

1:48:29find it very confusing to have it.

1:48:31I find the whole idea of going through the Council budget

1:48:38outside of the context of the whole city

1:48:41to be rather bizarre especially putting the library

1:48:46and the City Council and and trying to do it

1:48:50without the context of the big problem which

1:48:55is we have to reduce by a huge amount of money.

1:48:58And these are relatives that mom members.

1:49:03So it isn't really it's not just the order magnitude.

1:49:12So I find that very confusing.

1:49:14And I would appreciate if we could

1:49:17put the outside of service create an outside services

1:49:22budget category and of which the library would be part which

1:49:28is not changing dollars it's just changing

1:49:32where things are presented.

1:49:38So we can we can deal with the library independently

1:49:42but I would like to We do I would like to potentially

1:49:50resolve some budget reductions in our cost

1:49:54that could weather libraries in this budget or not.

1:49:58What I'm what I'm hearing and to your point Janet the current

1:50:07both Paul and Gabe talked about leaving in the travel

1:50:11and training approximately eight thousand dollars which would be

1:50:17essentially we could say that each council member would have

1:50:22roughly seventeen hundred dollars

1:50:26and round math to to use how they

1:50:29want during the fiscal year.

1:50:32You know that that would be getting that council

1:50:34purposes correct for legitimate travel

1:50:38and training purposes correct.

1:50:40So that that I can definitely echo that that was sort

1:50:44of where the 5 percent reduction plan was going

1:50:48was we reduce it by some amount and then whatever's

1:50:52left in the travel and training is actually allocated

1:50:55to individuals for them to use and let's say for example Gabe

1:51:01we want you to go and collect your going

1:51:04and we want you to collect the the you're going to be

1:51:08our sole representative that annual meeting to elect

1:51:12some award.

1:51:13Then you know if I'm not going I could take money out

1:51:17of my budget and transfer it to your budget

1:51:19for you to go if that's an extra trip for you to go.

1:51:23So.

1:51:23So it would be something where we could make decisions

1:51:28as a group if somebody is going over their budget

1:51:32or and we do need to have representation

1:51:34we could as a group decide how to use that money.

1:51:39Thank you.

1:51:40Yeah yeah yeah.

1:51:41So right now do travel and training we would be proposing

1:51:45to essentially reduce.

1:51:47Go ahead Janet The every body's role

1:51:56in organizations such as the League of California

1:51:59Cities changes every year.

1:52:03And I'm sorry I don't know.

1:52:10So it's a little bit awkward to try to hand leadership roles

1:52:19and I say that as a person is a past president of the East Bay

1:52:22division of the League of California Cities

1:52:26and a member of policy committees

1:52:28for a number of years.

1:52:30I don't know this.

1:52:32These things come these things go at it they're sort of.

1:52:36That's why it almost seems like it's

1:52:39the person Having said that.

1:52:41Another thing one can do as a person trying

1:52:45to use this type of system is to say well I'm it

1:52:49let's say it costs five hundred dollars to do some event that's

1:52:56important and relevant then I can use that part

1:53:02of my council allotment.

1:53:04Let's say let's say I raised three hundred dollars from that

1:53:08and then if I say cost five hundred dollars what I could do

1:53:12is fund the two hundred dollars some other way

1:53:15other ways could be just simply paying it myself

1:53:19or another other way is to have another organization pay.

1:53:23The other part and we're correct that that's correct they'll

1:53:30pay for the enrollment in a seminar or something

1:53:37but they won't pay for room and board type things.

1:53:41So there are a variety of techniques that can use

1:53:45this to accommodate the costs.

1:53:50You know and reduce the cost to the city

1:53:54but if we have sort of an inflexible thing that's then

1:54:00we can't do that right.

1:54:02What I'm proposing is a reduction in travel

1:54:05and training but that it would remain flexible within which

1:54:09remaining would be flexible per council member

1:54:13with flexible yes.

1:54:17Yeah.

1:54:17So the the current reduction although we're

1:54:20shall you propose a much larger reduction the current reduction

1:54:25I'm hearing would be roughly reducing travel training

1:54:29by four thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars

1:54:34would be reducing the events and field trips by ten thousand

1:54:43dollars it would be reducing The last the second

1:54:50the last line item the general office supplies I six hundred

1:54:55and thirty six dollars it would be reducing

1:55:01the the regular salaries and wages line item we can do that.

1:55:09So you reduced you eliminated General office

1:55:12supplies with that number.

1:55:15No office supplies one thousand dollars right now

1:55:19and we would be reducing it by six hundred

1:55:21thirty six it would be I would say in council member part

1:55:30Okamoto considering all of these budget adjustments

1:55:38and considering it would ultimately

1:55:41keep the library open.

1:55:42I am in support of council member Quintana was my idea

1:55:50to eliminate the cable broadcasting if we could keep

1:55:54the livestream and the radio because that would be

1:55:58a significant savings and still provide access to council

1:56:04meetings My one question on that is are the livestream still

1:56:11closed captioning so let me get let me ask you about

1:56:18your opinion on it because it sounds like when I was starting

1:56:21to talk about reducing our regular salaries and wages

1:56:24you're opposed to that is that what I'm hearing Yes

1:56:32because the recommendation there would be to reduce and this was

1:56:35by both Mr. FDLE and Mr. Kito to reduce our our wages by 10

1:56:40percent which would relate

1:56:43account for about twenty six hundred dollars

1:56:46and so it's well I'm not opposed to the money itself

1:56:52because I do believe the money itself

1:56:54is not significant but more on the principle of the fact

1:57:01that I feel that we had been signify kindly

1:57:05underpaid by by comparison to other council members

1:57:10throughout that area.

1:57:13And as somebody who is working as a nurse

1:57:15and as a mother is now a homeschooling teacher and then

1:57:21that council on top of that one of the criticisms

1:57:25that we've recently had with all this budgeting and lack

1:57:30thereof as many citizens would say is you know time is money

1:57:37and when you underpay the council members you're taking

1:57:40away time to work on council And so I'm just I'm opposed

1:57:45to the whole and it's not just oh Sarita

1:57:47I think the whole system is just crazy to expect someone

1:57:51to work it can end up being a full time job

1:57:54if you're really doing it right.

1:57:57Five thousand a year.

1:57:58I just think it's a ridiculous amount of money.

1:58:01Ridiculously low and not sufficient and not helpful.

1:58:05So I'm against that in principle.

1:58:07Notice not so much in the actual dollar

1:58:11amounts but considering what council

1:58:16member Quito said he did.

1:58:19He did sway me because I want everyone

1:58:22to have access to the meetings.

1:58:24That's why I thought initially no we can't cut that.

1:58:27But I think between live streaming

1:58:33and the radio week for everyone everyone

1:58:36would still have access.

1:58:38And if that means being able to keep the library open

1:58:41and making other adjustments within our budget and then not

1:58:45having to to borrow from the fund

1:58:48I think that it would be worth it to ask the question again

1:58:53if the majority of the council was to suggest that we should

1:58:57take a pay cut of 10 percent.

1:59:00You would hopefully be willing to do that.

1:59:06If it meant that I if it meant keeping the library hours.

1:59:11Yes that's where that's where I'm trying to get to Karen.

1:59:17Greg let me.

1:59:18There is a you guys.

1:59:20You and Paul and Rochelle have all

1:59:24raised questions about the the the other administrative

1:59:29services line item which includes our cable tell

1:59:32of our live streaming and radio I wanted to give staff

1:59:35an opportunity to speak to what they might be able to reduce

1:59:42in that area if it's not total slash

1:59:45and burn which is what the.

1:59:46Which is what the catastrophic proposal is.

1:59:50But if there was something some intermediary proposal

1:59:52staff would I'd love to hear what that number is.

1:59:55So I don't know if it's Karen or Holly.

1:59:57Speaks to this I'd like to just jump in and point.

2:00:02I do want the council to be aware of something on her.

2:00:06Our franchise fees that we collect from Comcast

2:00:10and from AT&T our ordinance allows

2:00:13for us to get an additional 1 percent of franchise fees

2:00:19that are charged in order to be used

2:00:21for public educational and governmental broadcasting.

2:00:26I've actually really quickly been trying to look up

2:00:29on my other computer how much we receive but it's

2:00:32an additional percentage of the franchise fees

2:00:34that we get from cable that is revenue that comes in we are

2:00:38required to pay for something that is that needs to be

2:00:42public educational and governmental broadcasting

2:00:44in order to collect that So it's not reflected in your city

2:00:47council budget it is collected through the franchise fees

2:00:50but we do collect money which is which

2:00:53offsets the cost for cable.

2:00:56I also want to you to know that radio

2:00:59is this is we contract with Corey Mason at sort

2:01:03of high school to do the cable radio broadcast about two

2:01:09hundred dollars and meeting.

2:01:10He uses the cable fees in order to do

2:01:14to put that over the radio.

2:01:16So if you cut the cable you are cutting

2:01:18you would have to cut the radio as

2:01:19well because I'm not sure how he would be able to hook that.

2:01:24He'd have to figure out a different way but.

2:01:26But at the same time because we collect Peg fees in order

2:01:29for those broadcasting I'm not I I'm

2:01:34for what it's worth I don't know that I would recommend cutting

2:01:36broadcasting Thank you to Sorry Karen one

2:01:41more one more thing and this is where Holly can jump in.

2:01:43We could We could train our own staff to run the broadcast

2:01:49as opposed to paying an all and I can ask Holly to maybe jump

2:01:52in on that that could be part of that could could certainly

2:01:59represent a reduction that is not a conversation that I have

2:02:02yet had with an old TV to find out how much of the estimated

2:02:08costs that they have provided us are directly related

2:02:10to the staff on site but we do typically have two staff

2:02:13members from Nile TV onsite managing the cameras

2:02:17and the feed and ensuring that everything is properly

2:02:19functioning for broadcast while our I.T.

2:02:23staff our city staff is monitoring overseeing

2:02:27making sure they have what they

2:02:28need as well as monitoring and ensuring that our livestream

2:02:30broadcast is going through which to come back to cancel

2:02:34our party looking photos question that livestream does

2:02:37include on demand fee that we can choose

2:02:41and do enable closed captioning on the livestream

2:02:44as well Mr. Cantor and Mr. DeLay both have their hands up.

2:02:50I actually don't know which one went up first.

2:02:53So if you could graciously DECIDE

2:02:56WHICH IS WHICH OF YOU IS GOING TO GO FIRST I'D BE WONDERFUL.

2:03:00Well I'm flattered.

2:03:01Father Mayor Pro Tem speak Thank you.

2:03:06I. It is big topic.

2:03:08I have you know in case the local channel CRT where

2:03:15on there with Richmond and a variety of local programming

2:03:20that I would hate to not be a part I do get people

2:03:24to come up to me that say they've watched us on TV.

2:03:28It is an access which I believe is probably more

2:03:31than the radio I didn't realize we

2:03:32got a monetary amount of money.

2:03:36Karyn back from the cable.

2:03:39I said quite honestly I've worked with Comcast to make

2:03:42sure that Ellsbury though gets designated on the scheduling

2:03:47and it was a long hard struggle to make

2:03:49sure that people see else Rito is

2:03:52having their council meeting.

2:03:53And it's been a hit or miss success story.

2:03:56So I appreciate the concern with that.

2:03:59I just taking any kind of transparency

2:04:02away from where people can see what we're doing

2:04:05and how we're doing it.

2:04:06And that concerns me.

2:04:11Mr. No I agree with the delay on this one.

2:04:19Looking at that done and knowing that we

2:04:22do get a franchise fee from that I didn't realize that's

2:04:27so interesting to know.

2:04:30How much are we getting from this so looking at that

2:04:36and looking at how much we need to cut You know looking

2:04:42at that fourteen thousand dollars

2:04:45in that that to cut that would definitely take care

2:04:48of the the additional hours that we would have for the library

2:04:55and I just want a again let folks know

2:04:59that these additional hours in the library

2:05:03are for educational purposes.

2:05:05There has to be a purpose on why we're adding

2:05:09programming fees to have this.

2:05:13So again making sure that we have education

2:05:19provided for or our schools.

2:05:24That's a good reason to keep that open.

2:05:25So I want to make sure that this is our top priority

2:05:30and everything else look at.

2:05:33But then I want to make sure that these library this library

2:05:37we have a funding for and if it has

2:05:41to take a loan from the arts to provide arts training

2:05:47for residents and school people and that

2:05:51attend our local schools here that that's

2:05:55definitely a top priority.

2:05:56So looking at what we're slashing here now I definitely

2:06:01agree with my colleagues that this needs to be slashed

2:06:04but also know that we have a responsibility as elected

2:06:07officials to attend these meetings

2:06:12like the mayors conference and the League

2:06:13of California cities.

2:06:15And I agree with what Janet had to say.

2:06:17We will get.

2:06:20We will have this between the five

2:06:23and and we will work closely together to make sure

2:06:27that if someone needs to attend a meeting

2:06:29we will let them attend that meeting.

2:06:32So I agree with our council member able

2:06:34so not that looking at see that that's all that I

2:06:49have to say on that thank you.

2:06:50Can I add one point Mr. Mayor go ahead.

2:06:54I just want to make sure that when we're in this process

2:06:57and we won't be going through a lot

2:06:58over the next few weeks and months

2:07:01that we don't just trade one for one.

2:07:03I mean I don't think it's just saying

2:07:05because we don't have television coverage

2:07:07that'll pay for the library.

2:07:09We need transparency and we need the library.

2:07:13So we need to just say what we do need.

2:07:15And at the end of the day say Where else do we cut

2:07:18and whether salaries or what other percentage

2:07:20do we increase.

2:07:22I think transparency is very important

2:07:24and it's nice to say well those fourteen thousand

2:07:27dollars that's a major cut to what else Laredo is

2:07:30and how our word is getting out and how we respond

2:07:33as people for our citizens.

2:07:35So I think they're both critically important

2:07:38May I have one more thing.

2:07:40Yeah.

2:07:41And then I'm going to move towards the motion on this.

2:07:44Okay.

2:07:45You know looking at I agree with council member Part 2.

2:07:47Okay.

2:07:48No doubt regarding reduced salary it is so insignificant

2:07:54that I want to make sure that you know she we

2:07:58have full time people that work here.

2:08:01Craig I know you're one of men and Rochelle

2:08:06and you know so I do not agree with the one hundred

2:08:11forty one dollar to slash staff because that's insignificant.

2:08:15No that when it comes to what.

2:08:20Council members get paid again I'm

2:08:21lucky our residents to know we are doing this for free.

2:08:26This is not we're not that's you know when you when you take

2:08:30the taxes that's that's like three

2:08:32hundred fifty dollars a month.

2:08:34And what it comes to the work that we

2:08:36do it is full time and then some especially for the mayor.

2:08:40That's 24 hours a day that that when you're mayor

2:08:44you're mayor 24 hours a day.

2:08:47So looking out what other cities provide many cities provide

2:08:51insurance for their council members

2:08:53and they are their we don't provide that.

2:08:56So what get.

2:08:58So one of the few perks that we have is that four hundred

2:09:01forty one dollars a month.

2:09:03So I agree with Rochelle that we need to keep that beacon slash

2:09:07and other waste so in a way I want to make sure that they

2:09:13know we do not have staff that does work and does

2:09:18our typing like what you see in Richmond and Berkeley

2:09:21and many other cities.

2:09:23The council we do all our work on a round

2:09:26with no help from anybody else.

2:09:29And you look at my colleagues around Contra Costa County they

2:09:32have a full staff and they had an assistant does everything

2:09:35for So I appreciate what my colleagues do and know

2:09:40that it's more than half time work it's a full responsibility

2:09:46doing what we do as council members and Mayor

2:09:48of the city of El Sabrina.

2:09:49So I want to make sure that we don't cut on that.

2:09:53We have asked and time and time again the city manager past

2:09:58and present let's give a survey on what our other council

2:10:02members get paid.

2:10:04And by far we have done individual surveys

2:10:08and we truly are indeed the lowest paid council members

2:10:13with no benefits so I want to make sure that our residents

2:10:17know that this is something that we do want around

2:10:23and I want to thank our elected officials

2:10:25my colleagues that do this for the love of the city

2:10:28that they live in.

2:10:30Thank you.

2:10:31Yeah.

2:10:31Doug Ken's work.

2:10:33He told the Financial Advisory Board

2:10:35actually has an action item to look at the council pay.

2:10:41They were about to take that up in February when we

2:10:45when they went into hiatus.

2:10:48So that is something that's ongoing

2:10:49and we've offered that up Karen do you have anything to add

2:10:54with regards to revenue with regards to the funds

2:10:59for broadcasting yes.

2:11:02And then again this this is part of our franchise fees

2:11:05so I just did some digging on it.

2:11:08The cable costs are indeed covered

2:11:11We've collected about twenty thousand dollars this year

2:11:13in Peg fees so those cable broadcast hours

2:11:18and we're required to use that money in order

2:11:21to to provide public educational governmental programming

2:11:24so that is that is that is offset

2:11:27by revenue right obviously.

2:11:30And if it's that could be added to our budget

2:11:32that'd be awesome.

2:11:34What I'd like to do at this point

2:11:35is there are five categories of expenditures that we have been

2:11:41discussing that I would like to take sort of as individual line

2:11:46items so that we can see if we've actually achieved

2:11:50any type of cuts here at all.

2:11:53The first would be deciding if we're

2:11:57paying for four extra hours at the library

2:12:01at the tune of eighty seven thousand dollars

2:12:04or if we're paying for eleven extra hours

2:12:07at the library for one hundred eleven

2:12:11thousand dollars hundred eleven thousand four hundred.

2:12:15And so that those are the choice that's

2:12:17in choice before us for the library

2:12:18whether it's in this budget or not.

2:12:21We need to need to give guidance to the city manager

2:12:24as to whether we're paying for four

2:12:27extra hours at eighty seven thousand dollars for eleven

2:12:31extra hours at one hundred and eleven hundred

2:12:36question cost to go ahead.

2:12:39Purdue Okamoto and then Fidelio I think it was we're

2:12:43getting these franchise fees for broadcasting.

2:12:47Is that can we include that in our budget

2:12:51as revenue in different city council expense.

2:12:55Can't we also add it in as city council revenues and that would

2:12:59change the formulation of the decision

2:13:01we have to make right now.

2:13:04We could probably do that in the future.

2:13:06We have had this as a separate line revenue line

2:13:09item sort under a non departmental

2:13:12so we could move it to there.

2:13:15Yes then I would suggest if if it is being paid for basically

2:13:22from that franchise fee I would say that we would remove

2:13:26broadcasting fees entirely from our budget

2:13:29if we're making this decision.

2:13:32Yeah I was going to get to that.

2:13:34Look the five categories arc library travel and training

2:13:38events and events and field trips and the meals

2:13:43and our own pay those are the five categories I was

2:13:47and then the on the I was not going

2:13:52to leave the other administrative services

2:13:57as you know.

2:13:59But since it's paid for with revenue

2:14:01I wasn't going to cut that which means it's neither.

2:14:04It's it's an expense but it also has revenue to offset it.

2:14:09May I if I may if we were to offset the fourteen thousand

2:14:12projected for broadcast and the 4000 for radio that would mean

2:14:17a 10 percent reduction to that number

2:14:19would be just under twenty one thousand correct and right

2:14:24now I'm only getting to eighteen thousand.

2:14:28That's why I'm trying to go through this

2:14:31in some sort of order with the library being one of the ones

2:14:36that you know if we are going to go to eighty seven

2:14:39thousand if we do the thirty nine hours which is no for days

2:14:43that's eighty seven thousand dollars of cost it does it does

2:14:48provide extra hours but it would clearly

2:14:52be a reduction over our anticipated budget

2:14:55as shown on worksheet.

2:14:58If we're gonna go to 111 hours then

2:15:03clearly we need to look at some of the other cuts

2:15:08and they may not be enough.

2:15:10That's why I was going to start with the library.

2:15:13So I think Paul you were after all.

2:15:16Yeah with the library where it's still

2:15:18so there's no motion to delete.

2:15:20Library funding anywhere in today's motion

2:15:23exercise correct.

2:15:26That's I. I am trying.

2:15:28For me it's between we haven't down isn't it.

2:15:31Pardon me.

2:15:32It is a potential zero the choices are zero

2:15:35eighty seven thousand one hundred and eleven four hundred

2:15:38and not.

2:15:41I am eliminating the zero as a CHOICE FOR ME THE LIBRARY IS

2:15:45NOT YOURS FOR ME I'LL TAKE TAKE your lead Paul for me this city

2:15:50values education communication and transparency in the library

2:15:53and our cable service our broadcast services to me those

2:15:58are both important and so for me there they are low on the cut

2:16:04that that said the the current cuts we've talked about

2:16:08in travel and training events and field

2:16:10trips meals and even our own staff payroll is not enough.

2:16:17And so that's why for me there's still

2:16:19a decision between eighty seven thousand

2:16:21one hundred and eleven thousand two right now where we don't

2:16:26have those four categories we don't have enough cuts yet

2:16:31to really cover everything we're trying to flee if we voted

2:16:36for the forty six hours the one hundred

2:16:39and eleven thousand dollars is now

2:16:41a point where I mean that's the limit of what we want to cover

2:16:47as far as access to the library and then

2:16:50when comes the 10 percent cut that every department is

2:16:53seeking does that make sense.

2:17:00It's like let's talk about the hours

2:17:02we want and then we cut that by 10 percent

2:17:05and find funding you do the arts of program

2:17:10or not we can make the library a whole.

2:17:14I just don't have it.

2:17:17Go ahead I'll have a comment.

2:17:18So let me just clarify Are your cuts that we've talked about

2:17:24and have almost agreed to It's coming

2:17:27up to eighteen thousand but we need

2:17:29twenty one thousand that's.

2:17:33That's approximately the goal yes OK

2:17:36so I would be interested then in making those cuts

2:17:44and then getting three thousand dollars from the arts fund

2:17:48make up the difference and basically

2:17:51that's what I was saying is whatever let's make the cuts

2:17:54and how many hours when you want for the library

2:17:57and then find that revenue at the arts in the arts fund

2:18:01come up that definitely support that as well So.

2:18:04So the motion on the floor is two

2:18:08and I'll summarize for cut the four

2:18:10cuts the motion on the floor is to make cuts of about eighteen

2:18:15thousand dollars and find three we have three thousand dollars

2:18:20from the arts fund go towards programming at the library

2:18:24and maintain the forty six hours at the library

2:18:28at a cost of one hundred and eleven thousand

2:18:34correct I would make that motion feels all right with me.

2:18:38Yeah.

2:18:41Okay.

2:18:43So comment.

2:18:45Go ahead Mr. Woodruff.

2:18:46Yeah.

2:18:47So just to pick up a point that I made

2:18:50and that you echoed regarding the use of the Public Art Fund

2:18:55I think that if we can get some verification from the library

2:19:01that that defunding of staff hours

2:19:05results in on site cultural programs that

2:19:10fit within the definition of public arts

2:19:13that that would be a permissible use.

2:19:15I just want to be clear though that we need we just

2:19:17need some support for that so that we can document

2:19:20that the public art funds where we're by supporting library

2:19:24hours we're an after that would make

2:19:27possible cultural programming document telling them that it

2:19:33was a requirement correct.

2:19:37I'm fine with it's articulated we just need

2:19:39something along those lines.

2:19:41I we can get that we definitely can

2:19:45get that to the backwards land miss part of oak Moko.

2:19:55Are you willing to put that into your motion.

2:19:57Yes.

2:19:59Mr. Patel you're seconding the motion.

2:20:01Yes.

2:20:02OK.

2:20:03I want to summarize the motion.

2:20:05The motion is that we will be funding the library hours

2:20:09at forty six hours or one hundred and eleven

2:20:11thousand four hundred.

2:20:13We will be reducing travel and training by four thousand seven

2:20:17hundred and fifty will we reducing events and field

2:20:20trips by ten thousand.

2:20:22We'll be reducing general office supplies by six hundred

2:20:26and thirty six dollars we'll be reducing the city council

2:20:31pay by twenty six hundred dollars or ten percent

2:20:34and we will be transferring restricted fund money

2:20:40from the arts and culture to pay for programs at the library

2:20:46as stipulated and that will be stipulated

2:20:49in the the directions to the library clerk

2:20:55as stipulated to the library Sure to me

2:21:03I will agree to that book So I believe

2:21:07Karen May as city manager can because might

2:21:10have some additional comments.

2:21:13OK Yeah.

2:21:28Thank you.

2:21:29I just I totally understand what the council is saying

2:21:34and I do on the city count what I wanted to make.

2:21:39Just sort of a bit more clear for this as far as the percent

2:21:43reductions at the what is really happening what staff is really

2:21:48asking is is more a policy decision regarding the library

2:21:51not just an understanding of this particular budget

2:21:55whether the library hours were in the city council

2:21:57budget or city manager's budget or in any other budget we're

2:22:02asking is to make a policy decision on funding the library

2:22:07and you know I've heard the conversation you all

2:22:10know that my recommendation is because of the city's

2:22:13current financial position.

2:22:15I have recommended that at least for this fiscal year

2:22:17that the city not fund additional hours.

2:22:21I do that again because of my responsibility to the city

2:22:25my responsibility to our employees

2:22:27I do not intend to pit county employees against city

2:22:30employees but The fact is that this is a county service

2:22:33that the city is supplementing which is

2:22:35why I made that recommendation.

2:22:38Again we are not alone in looking at this.

2:22:40Other cities in our County are looking

2:22:41at exactly the same thing.

2:22:44I agree with all of the public comments

2:22:46and I agree with everything the council said about the benefits

2:22:48of the library and what they what the value

2:22:50the library brings.

2:22:52This is an incredibly painful recommendation to make.

2:22:57But at the same time you know I will still

2:23:00have to find whether it's you know the barring the except

2:23:04for the money that may come out of the Public Art Fund

2:23:07on all of the other funding will have to be in a tumor in two

2:23:11more million dollars worth of cuts then

2:23:13I will need to find that.

2:23:15I just want the council to understand that.

2:23:17And again I will as a city manager I

2:23:20implement the policy that the council sets

2:23:22and I am happy to do so.

2:23:24Just giving you my recommendation

2:23:26and my information because my responsibility is for the city

2:23:31employees and the city services that I am

2:23:34that I'm required to implement.

2:23:37So thank you Thank you.

2:23:43There's a motion on the floor by our new Okamoto

2:23:45seconded by the deli and we please

2:23:48roll call Mayor alignment.

2:23:54Yes.

2:23:55Definitely.

2:23:56I can't remember a Wilson I can't remember.

2:24:01Pedro locomotives.

2:24:03Yes and some I'm working till I. Motion carries That concludes

2:24:17item to be which was county city council division budget

2:24:22discussion We now move on to item 3 which

2:24:25is a German special city council meeting I

2:24:28am looking up at the clock.

2:24:30We are adjourning at twelve thirty

2:24:32to the next regular scheduled city council meeting

2:24:36is Tuesday May 5th 2020.

2:24:39Quite a teleconference.

2:24:41Thank you everyone Mayor.

2:24:44Thank you.